


The Good Die Young, But So Did This

by TheWhiteWolf2486



Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: A happy ending for Dan/Charlotte, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Ballroom Dancing, Douchifer Brotp, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Gen, God is trying to make ammends, Heaven, Lucifer isn't a fan of ties, M/M, Marcus is a dick, Needlessly emotional speeches, One Shot Collection, Prompt Fic, Prompt Fill, Red Queen AU, Sickfic, Temporary Character Death, The Devil secretly likes Disney sing alongs, Trixie and Maze are going to run Hell one day mark my words, Tumblr Prompt, Wild theory's about Chloe's origins, devil reveal
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-30
Updated: 2018-08-21
Packaged: 2019-01-07 00:41:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 35,586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12222252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheWhiteWolf2486/pseuds/TheWhiteWolf2486
Summary: A collection of prompt fic asks that I fill and then post on my Tumblr account. Posting on here to consolidate my work all in one place, and for people who don't follow my Tumblr/have access to Tumblr. You'll find a little bit of everything in here.





	1. How much of that did you hear?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dialogue Prompt: "How much of that did you hear?". Originally requested by [@wollfgangsblog.](https://wollfgangsblog.tumblr.com)

“And the worst part of it is that I can’t even find it in me to be mad at him!” Chloe growled loudly as she paced back and forth across the expanse of the tiny therapy office, her hands clenching and unclenching in perfect rhythm with the tick in her jaw. Linda sat behind her desk, chewing a mouthful of her salad as she silently wondered why all of her friends kept stealing her lunch hour to get free therapy; however, she didn’t have long to dwell on the fact before Chloe’s irritated voice was filling the room once more. “After everything he’s done wrong; abandoning me all the time unless a case is exciting enough, inviting me to a fancy restaurant for dinner and then never showing up, running away right after my near-death experience and marrying a stripper that he met in Vegas!?”

Linda watched as Chloe suddenly stopped her pacing before she whirled around to face her, the sudden movement startling the therapist slightly. And to think that the doctor once thought that Lucifer’s therapy sessions were taxing, at least he usually stopped ranting long enough for her to get a word in edgewise. “And now he thinks he has the _right_ to throw a fit now that I’m seeing someone?” Chloe’s tone only grew more infuriated as she continued, and Linda paused chewing as her friend fixed her with a glare that sent a small shiver down the doctor’s spine even though she knew that it wasn’t directed towards her. A moment later Chloe’s expression softened slightly and she let out a long, resigned sigh before taking a seat on the plush couch resting against the adjacent wall. Chloe buried her face in her palms, silence filling the tiny room for several moments that dragged on for an eternity before Linda heard a quiet, “Why?”, come from her friend.

“Why?” Linda asked, confusion lacing her voice as she tried to figure out exactly what her friend was asking about. At the doctor’s question Chloe pulled her hands from her face before fixing her friend with a glassy-eyed gaze.

“Why do I still love him?” Chloe asked, her voice quivering slightly as she spoke. Linda opened her mouth as she tried to conjure the right words to comfort her clearly distressed friend, but before she could offer any warm reassurances the detective’s gaze hardened once again, all feelings of hurt and vulnerability appearing to be shoved back into some dark, unexplored corner. “It’s pathetic,” Chloe growled darkly as she stood up from her seat and resumed her furious pacing. “After all the crap that he’s put me through…” Linda took another hesitant bite of her salad as her friend ran a hand sloppily through her hair. “Even after everything he’s done wrong I can still guarantee you that if he just manned the fuck up and told me that he wanted to be with me I’d dump Marcus in a heartbeat!” Chloe only paused her lengthy, angry monologue long enough to turn and face her friend before immediately continuing, “But no, instead he’s going to act like some pissy, passive-aggressive soccer mom who was just told that her coupons are expired.”. Linda watched her friend’s defensive walls begin to crumble slightly once more, her shoulders slumping forward and her eyes growing glassy once again as she shook her head softly. When Chloe’s eyes met Linda’s her eyebrows drew together in confusion before she quietly asked, “What’s wrong with me?”.

“Nothing’s wrong with you, Chloe,” Linda reassured immediately. Hell, if someone had let her down as much as Lucifer had let Chloe down she would be pissed and confused too. “Lucifer is…” Linda trailed off for a moment as she tried to think of the right word to describe the devil, “…complicated. Trust me, I know.”. The doctor chuckled slightly at the word, complicated was definitely a bit of an understatement. She glanced back up at the detective only to see the woman shaking her head slightly. “He thinks he’s doing what’s best for you,” Linda offered quietly; she knew that the explanation wouldn’t be enough, but it was all that she could feasibly admit without breaching her patient confidentiality.

Linda had expected the statement to help calm down her friend, but it seemed to have the exact opposite outcome; the detective squared her shoulders and put forward a mask of indifference once again as her upper lip curled down into the beginnings of a snarl. “Who the hell does he think he is to know what’s best for me?” Chloe shouted as she took a menacing step towards the therapist. Linda swallowed nervously as she clenched the plastic fork in her hand with enough force to snap it clean in half, the loud cracking sound resonating throughout the eerily silent office.

“If his behavior bothers you so much why don’t you confront him about it?” Linda asked softly, partially worried that once again her words would only serve to further infuriate the armed and emotional police detective standing in her office. She knew that she was throwing Lucifer under the bus a bit, but he was the devil, surely he could handle Chloe’s wrath. He was definitely better equipped to deal with Chloe’s fury than she was. The doctor watched as Chloe stood a little straighter at the question, her brows drawing together once again as she nodded her head softly, her eyes gazing off at some point in the distance. Chloe didn’t say a word as she turned away from the doctor and made her way over to the door with purposeful strides. Linda watched as she quickly pulled the door open, and wound up flinching back into her chair slightly when a large, dark figure ungracefully fell into the detective now that the door he’d been bracing himself against was no longer in place.

Linda stared in silence as the two people went crashing to the floor in an ungraceful heap of limbs, a deep groan escaping the man as he pushed himself back up. Linda immediately recognized Lucifer, his suit slightly disheveled from the tumble as he picked himself back up off the floor. Right…Lucifer…her next appointment.

“Lucifer?” Chloe questioned, confusion and anger lacing her voice as she stood back up. The two of them stared each other down for a painfully long moment before Chloe’s expression grew unreadable and she spoke up with a voice that was deceivingly calm, “Were you eavesdropping?”. Linda watched as a guilty look flitted across the devil’s face and disappeared as quickly as it had shown itself. Chloe noticed it though, of course she did, she was a police detective. “How much of that did you hear?” She questioned, her voice growing slightly more emotional as her expression turned deadly.

“It doesn’t matter,” Lucifer muttered just loud enough for Linda to hear from across the room, and the therapist shook her head softly at her client’s choice of words. Would Lucifer ever learn not to shove his foot down his throat every time he opened his mouth? Chloe scoffed at his answer, a harsh, grating sound that made goosebumps prick on the doctor’s arms.

“Of course you would say that,” Chloe stated calmly as she shook her head. “Nothing matters to you.” She snarled viciously, turning away the second the words left her mouth as she started towards the ajar door.

“Detective!” Lucifer reached out, wrapping his hand around the woman’s wrist as he tried to stop her from leaving. Linda stopped breathing when Chloe stopped, turning back to glare at the devil with daggers in her eyes.

“Fuck off, Lucifer,” Chloe growled, her voice dangerously low as she ripped her hand from the man’s grip and turned back towards the door before quickly making her way out of the office. The door slammed behind her, the sound making both Linda and Lucifer jump slightly. After a few long moments of awkward silence, Lucifer turned to look at the doctor with his mouth slightly agape and his brows knotted together. Linda let out a long sigh as she buried her face in her hands and tried to prepare for a long hour of hellish therapy.

\---***---

Chloe let out a long sigh as a forceful knock came from her front door. She stood up from her couch, and her second glass of wine, as she made her way over to the door. She wasn’t really sure what she was expecting, but when she unlocked her door and opened it to find Lucifer standing before her she couldn’t help but feel her previous anger come rising to the surface. She would have slammed the door in his face if it wasn’t for his disheveled appearance; his hair curling wildly, his shirt partially untucked and the collar of his suit jacket turned up. At first glance she assumed that he was drunk, but when he spoke up his voice wasn’t slow or slurred like she expected. “You matter to me.” Chloe stood there in shocked silence as she tried to decipher the hidden meaning hiding in his words.

“What?” She asked, not because she didn’t hear him, but rather because she wanted to hear those simple words tumble from his lips once more.

“You matter to me, Detective,” Lucifer repeated once again, his voice laced with conviction and Chloe felt her throat grow uncomfortably tight at the confession. “I’m…” The devil trailed off as he dragged his eyes down to stare at his feet for a short moment before he continued, “I’m sorry for everything I’ve put you through, you truly deserve better.”. Chloe shook her head softly at the admission, her anger dying in her chest as something softer filled the gaps it left. Why couldn’t he understand that she didn’t want better, she wanted _him_. Lucifer drew in a deep breath before his dark eyes met hers once again, he offered her a small, almost bitter smile before his accent broke the quiet, “Which is why I came here to give you my blessing. I wish you and your Luitenant the best, I’ll stop acting so…boorish, around you two.”.

All of the anger that had just vanished returned with a fury when Lucifer finished. Chloe’s hands clenched into fists at her sides and her teeth ground together as she refrained from slapping the tall british idiot upside his gorgeous dumb head. “I don’t want your blessing, Lucifer,” Chloe growled, her tentative smile quickly turning into a harsh scowl.

The tall man let out a hefty, defeated sigh, throwing his hands up in the air as he started, “Then what-”

“I want you to step up and fight for me like a man!” Chloe shouted as she cut him off. She watched his mouth turn down into the beginning of a scowl at her words, and a second later she couldn’t help but throw another harsh insult at him, “Or at least have the balls to tell me once and for all that you don’t like me like that!”.

Silence thicker than concrete filled the around them as Lucifer’s lips pursed into a thin line and his eyes lit up with anger as he took a small step towards Chloe. “I love you.” He growled quietly, his voice trembling slightly as he spoke. “There.” He added, his eyes narrowing slightly as he leaned in closer to the detective. “Are you bloody happy now?” The devil questioned, his voice trembling once again and Chloe couldn’t tell if it was anger or something more tender that was searing just under her partner’s skin.

Chloe swallowed heavily, suddenly emboldened by Lucifer’s blatant confession. She wasn’t about to let him off that easy, not after everything he’d put her through for the last two years. “No.” She stated simply, and Lucifer let out a rough growl as he started to turn away from her just before Chloe’s hands fisted in his shirt and she roughly yanked him down to her level. Before Lucifer could protest her rough treatment she pressed her lips against his forcefully, drawing a strangled, surprised noise from the tall man’s throat as she tried to pour all of her anger, and lust, and emotions out. It took a moment for the devil to actually give in, the tense line of his shoulders softening slightly as his soft lips began to move against hers lightly, his five o'clock shadow scratching against her skin as she felt one of his arms wrap around the small of her back protectively. Chloe’s hands loosened their grip on his shirt as she relaxed into his firm embrace and silently prayed that he’d finally have the common sense to give them both what they wanted.

When they finally pulled away from each other it was because their lungs were screaming for air, and as they both stood there wrapped up in each other and panting for breath Chloe couldn’t help but lift a shaking hand to trace across the curve of his cheekbone. “Chloe,” Lucifer’s raspy voice sent shivers down her spine and she quickly pressed her lips to his once more. This time Lucifer pulled her closer, the lines of their bodies melding together seamlessly as she tried to ignore the molten waves of lust that were quickly building in her core. She lost track of time as their breaths mingled and his tongue leisurely swept across her own, and for all she knew they could have been standing there for hours.

When Lucifer finally pulled away he stared down at her for a long moment, his lust darkened eyes roaming over her face as he swallowed thickly. “Would you…” He trailed off to draw in a deep, shuddering breath before he continued, “Do me the honor of being my partner, instead of being his?”.

Chloe smiled at the question, her hands tightening their hold on his shirt as she nodded softly and tried to ignore the way her vision was blurring slightly. “Yes.” She breathed, as an overwhelming feeling of completeness washed through her.

“Yes?” Lucifer questioned quietly, a small, hopeful smile quickly spreading across his face as he slowly brushed some of her mussed up hair back behind her ear. Chloe only nodded furiously at his question, her smile growing wider as she pulled her hands from his shirt so she could wrap her arms around his waist.

“Took you long enough.” She quipped playfully before returning her lips to her favorite devil’s face for what would definitely not be the last time that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone who's curious, my Tumblr account is [@casuallydeliciousphilosopher.](http://casuallydeliciousphilosopher.tumblr.com) I open up prompt fic requests whenever I hit a major follower milestone. :)


	2. Why are you helping me?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dialogue Prompt: "Why are you helping me?". Originally requested by [@coilingearth.](https://coilingearth.tumblr.com)

The first thing Dan did when he stalked over the british bastard sitting at his desk was pry his beloved Derek Jeter bobblehead from the devil’s hands. Immediately earning himself a disappointed huff and a sharp glare. He ignored Lucifer’s petulant behavior as he opened one of his desk drawers, pulling out a yellow-paged notebook and a ballpoint pen that had seen better days and slamming both items down on the desk in front of the fallen angel. “You want Chloe back, don’t you?” Daniel questioned gruffly when he noticed the way Lucifer was looking at him; his lips pursed into a thin line and turned down slightly at the corners, his eyebrows furrowed together, and his head tilted slightly.

The cop watched Lucifer’s eyebrows rise as the man eyed him speculatively for a long moment before pulling his gaze away as he stared at the empty notebook sitting before him. Lucifer let out a long sigh before his distinct accent cut over the quiet babbling hum of the precinct, “Of course I want Chloe back.”. “But to be completely honest I never really had her in the first place.” The devil added a half-second later as his dark gaze returned to Daniel’s form. 

Dan nodded at Lucifer’s words as he silently thanked the man’s father that the fallen angel was actually still interested in Chloe; Dan damn well knew that it would be impossible to get Lucifer to do something that he didn’t already want to do himself. “Well, get ready to take some notes then,” Daniel stated, but instead of picking up the pen sitting before him Lucifer just narrowed his eyes slightly, his brows furrowing together once again as he gave the officer a quizzical look. “Dude, I’m going to tell you how to win her back.” The cop explained with no small amount of exasperation lacing his voice.

“You think you’re qualified to help me get her back?” Lucifer questioned, a wide smile spreading across his face as he steepled his fingers together atop the desk he was perched at. “Do I need to remind you that you were the first man to lose her?” The devil continued, a bitter chuckle escaping him as Daniel immediately felt a swell of irritation fill him at Lucifer’s words. He was well aware that he’d screwed things up with ex-wife, on more than one occasion, but that didn’t mean that he couldn’t give Lucifer some advice. If anything, he could tell the man not to screw up like did, which meant that Lucifer had to go after her, as soon as possible.

“Do you want my help or not?” Dan growled grumpily as he grabbed a chair from an adjacent desk and rolled it over to his own, currently occupied, workspace. He took a seat as Lucifer stared at him in silence for a few long moments, and it didn’t take long for Daniel to grow fidgety under the man’s knowing gaze; the officer had to admit that ever since he’d learned that Lucifer was actually _the_ devil he felt a bit more uneasy around the man.

“Alright,” Lucifer sighed resignedly as he picked up the pen Dan had offered and adjusted it in his hand. “Well, go on then.” He added with a flourish of his free hand as he looked back over to the officer for guidance.

Dan nodded as he floundered for a moment, he genuinely hadn’t expected to get this far and now he needed to decide where to start. He quickly went with a brief overview of Chloe’s preferences, maybe if Lucifer could get her a reconciliation gift that she’d love then the two of them might actually start talking about something other than work. “Her favorite flowers are-”

“Dahlia’s,” Lucifer cut Dan off before he could even finish talking. Dan paused, his mouth still open as he stared at Lucifer’s unimpressed expression. Well, that one was pretty simple he supposed. The officer quickly regained his composure as he decided to move onto the next most common gift that repentant partners often got their significant other.

“She prefers dark chocolate to milk chocolate.” The officer offered as he gave the tall man sitting across from him a triumphant smile.

“I already knew that,” Lucifer sighed, his voice dripping with so much boredom that it was practically a mockery of Daniel’s efforts. Dan pursed his lips together in mild annoyance as he crossed his arms over his chest and quirked a single brow as he stared at the club owner for a long moment.

“Her favorite wine is-” 

“Malbec,” Lucifer cut him off once again and Daniel’s annoyance quickly grew into irritation. How was it possible that Lucifer already knew all this stuff about his ex-wife? He clenched his teeth together as he stared at the devil’s smug smirk as the man began to tap the end of the pen against his desk, an act which only served to drive Daniel even further up the wall. The two men stared each other down for a long moment before Daniel felt a sly smile begin to tug at the corners of his mouth. Fine, if Lucifer wanted to play hardball he’d play alright. He quickly picked a tidbit of information that it had taken him over a year to finally get down right.

“Her go-to coffee order is-”

“A tall, nonfat almond milk latte with sugar-free caramel drizzle.” Lucifer’s smug expression grew as he cut Daniel off for the third time in a row. The officer felt his jaw drop as his mind ran blank for a moment. He managed to pull himself back together relatively quickly, pulling his mouth shut and flinging his hands into the air as he stood up from his seat. This was ridiculous, how the hell did Lucifer already know all this stuff? Could the devil read minds or something? The thought sent a chill through Daniel and he quickly pushed it away, if Lucifer could read minds then Dan would rather not know. Ignorance is bliss after all.

“Is there anything you don’t know about her?” Dan questioned, annoyance clear in his voice as he sent a sharp glare towards the fallen angel.

Lucifer lifted a single finger, his smile growing as he set the pen back down on top of the notepad before speaking, “There is one thing.”. Lucifer leaned forward in his seat, bracing his elbows against his legs as his expression grew devilishly mischievous, “Why in the world did she ever marry you?”.

“Seriously!?” Dan shouted, immediately garnering the attention of several other officers who glanced over curiously before returning their gazes back to their hefty stacks of paperwork. “I’m trying to help you and you’re just going to start throwing insults at me?” Dan growled, his voice growing quieter as he shook his head in annoyance and considered flipping Lucifer off before quickly deciding that it might be smarter not to poke the devil with a metaphorical stick.

“Real question this time,” Lucifer began, his voice growing somber as he leaned back into his seat and folded his hands over his lap. “Why are you helping me?”

A short beat of silence grew before Dan glanced around to make sure no one was eavesdropping before quietly admitting, “Because I…I don’t like Marcus.”.

Lucifer chuckled under his breath, his body shaking with the noise as he shook his head and smiled at the officer. “Well, I’m certainly not his number one fan either, but I have to admit that he’s not exactly Hitler,” Lucifer quipped playfully before his smile began to dull a moment later and his eyes focused on some faraway point off in the distance. “As much as it pains me to say this, he actually seems to be…worthy, of the detective’s affections.” The devil muttered quietly, his smile fading even more with each word that left his mouth.

Dan scowled at Lucifer’s reaction as he stepped closer to his desk, roughly shoving the empty chair out of his way as he braced his hands on the smooth metal surface and leaned over the piece of furniture. “Yeah, well, he’s not everything that he seems to be. I just saw him beat the crap out of a suspect,” Dan admitted in a controversial whisper, drawing Lucifer’s attention back to the present as the fallen angel’s dark eyes met his.

“So what? I rough up suspects all the time,” Lucifer replied with a simple shrug, and Dan pursed his lips into a thin line at the man’s reaction. Was he the only one who thought that this was serious? There was something wrong with Marcus, he was twisted, and everyone was either too blind or too scared to say something about it.

“You do it because they’ve earned it, this guy, he didn’t deserve what Marcus did to him,” Dan explained quietly, he needed someone to understand. And who better than the devil himself. After all, everyone knew that Lucifer was never scared of taking action when it came to punishing a bad guy.

“He was being arrested by the police for a reason. I’m sure he deserved it,” Lucifer’s uninterested reply was accompanied by an eye roll and a soft huff, and Daniel clenched his hands into fists at the annoyance that the second lackluster response brewed in him.

“He was complying! He was following our orders, he was being respectful. And then once we had him handcuffed Marcus just started hauling off on him,” Dan hissed through clenched teeth. Lucifer remained unresponsive for a long moment before his eyes finally flicked up to meet the cops. “The guy’s on life support right now,” Daniel added as he stared at Lucifer’s expression that was quickly growing unreadable, his eyes squinting slightly, his lips pursed into a thin line, and his forehead furrowing deeply at the officer’s confession.

“And?” Lucifer questioned, his voice growing soft as he tried to pry more answers from the officer.

“And I just keep thinking…what if he ever…” Dan trailed off with a worried sigh as he righted himself and ran a hand through his hair as if it could help declutter his mind. “…Ever touched Chloe like that?”

It all happened so fast that Dan could hardly even register it, but suddenly Lucifer was standing up, his chair clattering to the ground loudly as it toppled over from the unexpected momentum. “He wouldn’t dare.” The devil growled, his voice low and dangerous as his eyes glowed red and his mouth turned down in a harsh snarl. Dan swallowed heavily as Lucifer took a very deliberate step towards him, and silently wondered if this was how it was going to end for him. “I swear upon everything that’s unholy that if he ever leaves a mark on her I will destroy him,” Lucifer added, and Dan nodded almost robotically as he wondered if he should do something to try and calm Lucifer down, or if it was safer to just try and keep his distance.

Before he really even knew what he was doing he was reaching out and resting a hand against the Devil’s upper arm in an attempt to calm him as he spoke up, “I know you will.”. A few seconds passed before Lucifer’s eyes finally faded back into their normal deep brown color and Dan took that as his sign that it was safe to continue, “But, I don’t want it to have to come to that.”. If they could prevent anything bad from happening in the first place then wasn’t that the best course of action? As much as the fallen angel sacred Daniel sometimes, he knew without a doubt that the man would take good care of his ex-wife and his daughter. He had already died for the two of them…twice. “Lucifer, please,” Dan requested softly as he pulled his hand from the man’s arm, “Go win your girl back.”.

Dan watched as Lucifer mulled over his words for a moment before the man stood up just a little bit straighter, and squared his shoulders just a little bit more before smoothing his hands over his suit jacket and flashing Dan a charming smile as he spoke up, “Consider it done.”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone who's curious, my Tumblr account is [@casuallydeliciousphilosopher.](http://casuallydeliciousphilosopher.tumblr.com) I open up prompt fic requests whenever I hit a major follower milestone. :)


	3. You make me want things I can't have.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dialouge Prompt: "You make me want things I can't have.". Originally requested by [@chashkieh](http://chashkieh.tumblr.com) and [@imke14.](http://imke14.tumblr.com)

Chloe was sitting at her desk attending to her mountain of paperwork that was beginning to rival the Himalayas in stature when a plain vanilla envelope was set down before her. She paused her writing to glance up at the person who put it there only to find Lucifer standing beside her looking much tenser than he usually did, his lips pursed into a thin line and his eyes colder than usual. “What is this?” Chloe questioned as she returned her gaze to the plain piece of paper before her. She picked it up and turned it over in her hands only to find Lucifer’s full name scribbled on the front of the envelope in his elegant script.

“My resignation letter.” Chloe’s breath caught in her throat as the british accent she’d grown so accustomed to muttered those three little words just loud enough for her to hear. She clenched the envelope in her hands as she tried to quell the wave of icy panic that was quickly spreading through her as she imagined losing her partner. This had to be a joke, right? She clung to that thin thread of hope as she looked back up at the devil only to find his slate-like expression completely serious.

Chloe swallowed heavily, hoping that it would do something to dislodge the lump that was rapidly growing in her throat. She stood up, despite the fact that she was worried that her legs might fail her at this given moment. She rested a hand lightly on her partner’s forearm as she let go of the envelope and it fluttered back down to rest on atop her paperwork mountains. “What?” Chloe breathed in disbelief as she shook her head softly and reached out to rest her free hand on her partners other arm; part of her believing that if she held onto him and didn’t let go that he wouldn’t leave, the other part of her wanting to make sure that this was real life and not some cruel nightmare. “Lucifer, why are you resigning?” She asked, unable to stop her voice from trembling slightly as she spoke. Her and Lucifer had been a team for so long now that she could hardly even imagine life without him.

Lucifer stepped out of Chloe’s grasp a moment after she latched onto him, putting a comfortable amount of distance between the two of them before he spoke up, his voice darker than usual and lacking his usual cheer, “Several reasons, but…Lux has been particularly taxing lately and I need to be able to divert all my energy into my business at the moment.”. Chloe stood there in silence for a long second as she tried to come to terms with Lucifer’s response. Seriously? That was it? Lux was going through a busy period so he needed to quit forever?

“Lucifer, if Lux is that big of a hassle right now I can help you with it,” Chloe offered hopefully. She couldn’t fathom why he wouldn’t just come to her for help in the first place, it certainly made a lot more sense than him just resigning out of the blue. She watched Lucifer carefully as she eagerly awaited his response; every second felt like an hour as silence lapsed on between the two of them, and when Chloe saw a mournful scowl cross the fallen angels face she knew that she was going to hate his response. “C’mon, you and I both know that I need my partner.” She chuckled lamely before Lucifer had a chance to turn down her offer, plastering a fake smile on her face as she tried to ignore the way her eyes were beginning to burn.

Tense silence brewed between the two of them for a long moment before Lucifer shook his head softly as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. “I’m sorry, Detective.” He offered, and Chloe balled her hands into fists at her sides so that Lucifer wouldn’t notice the way that her fingers were beginning to tremble. “I truly am…” Lucifer trailed off as his dark gaze drifted down to the floor under his feet for a moment as he drew in a long, pained sounding breath. “But it had to be done.” He finished simply as his gaze met her’s once more. Chloe forced herself to draw in a deep, shuddering breath when her lungs began to burn and she realized that she’d been holding it in for a while now.

“So that’s it?” Chloe questioned weakly as her vision grew so blurry that Lucifer became nothing more than a muddled smudge in her line of sight. “We’re over?” Her voice broke on the two simple words as she began to fidget with her hands in an attempt to distract her from the stabbing pain that was resonating from her chest.

“I’m afraid so,” Lucifer’s response was so soft-spoken that Chloe barely heard it over the sound of her own ragged breathing.

Chloe nodded furiously as she glanced away from Lucifer and her lips began to tremble slightly. “Well…” She choked out painfully as she offered the tall man another fake smile. “I wish you the best,” Chloe’s voice broke over the simple words as she felt a tear escape her eye and begin to roll down her cheek slowly. Lucifer opened his mouth and reached out towards her when he noticed that she’d begun crying, but he seemed to think twice about touching her as his hand fell limply to his side and he offered her a small, sad smile instead.

“Take care, Chloe,” Lucifer muttered as he turned away and began to make his way towards the exit of the precinct. Chloe stood there unmoving as she watched his tall form disappear from the building, and then continued to stand there for a few long moments before the full weight of reality came crashing down on her and she plopped down into her chair as the tears began to freely flow down her face. Chloe wound up clenching the corners of her desk so tightly that her fingers began to turn white as she tried to get ahold of her herself. She knew that they could still visit each other even if they didn’t work together, but something about that goodbye just felt so…final. She wasn’t sure how long it took to finally pull herself back together, but by the time she did the simple envelope that Lucifer had given her earlier was so tear-stained that his once perfectly penned name was now just a smudge on the paper.

\---***---

Chloe wrung her hands nervously as she watched the numbers above the elevator doors slowly climb digit by digit. It’d taken her a few hours of moping around at home, and a few glasses of liquid courage, to finally work up the nerve to come confront Lucifer. The elevator music did nothing to soothe her ragged nerves as the lift began to slow to a stop before the smooth, polished doors slid open with a soft dinging noise. A soft, melancholy note died in the air as Chloe was met with the sight of Lucifer sitting before his piano, taking a long swig of whatever was in his glass before placing it down on the top of the piano with enough force for the sound to reverberate throughout the room. “I don’t know who let you up here but I’m not accepting visitors.” He spoke without even glancing over at her, his voice harsh and cold.

Chloe swallowed heavily as she steeled herself in for a hard talk and stepped out of the small, metal box. “Lucifer, I…” She trailed off when Lucifer immediately glanced over at her upon hearing her voice, his expression softening for a brief moment before his face became a stoic slate once more. They stared each other down for a long moment before Chloe attempted to reiterate the thought on her mind. “Can we talk?” She questioned, her voice sounding much more subdued than she would have liked, she’d rehearsed something much bolder when she’d been driving over, but when standing face to face with the devil she couldn’t even remember what she’d practiced saying earlier.

Lucifer opened his mouth to say something, but apparently decided against it as he offered her a simple nod before standing up and grabbing his empty glass off the piano. Chloe followed behind him as he walked over to his bar before grabbing an unmarked bottle full of amber liquid and refilling his glass carefully. Chloe wasn’t sure how to start, or where to start, and before she could decide what to say first Lucifer was offering her the half-full glass in his hand. Without even thinking about it Chloe took it from him and quickly downed the contents in three gulps, the liquor burnt her throat all the way down, but it was a feeling she’d grown accustomed to today; granted it had more so been from crying than drinking. As soon as she finished she rested the now empty glass on top of the bar, earning an almost suspicious look from Lucifer as he a single eyebrow and tilted his head slightly before silently filling the glass once again. “So, what’s on your mind, Detective?” He asked, his voice strangely aloof sounding as he lifted the glass to his lips and took a sip as he stepped around her, slowly ambling towards the large windows overlooking the night-time Los Angeles cityscape.

“Why did you resign?” Chloe questioned as she began making her way towards her ex-partner; she was thankful that her voice sounded much stronger than it did when she first entered the penthouse as the fallen angel looked over at her with an unamused scowl etched into his face.

Lucifer let out a long, labored sigh before answering, “I already told you, Detective, Lux-”

“Oh, we both know that’s bullshit!” Chloe shouted, her mingled anger and hurt over the situation getting the best of her as she found herself unable to hold it all in anymore. Lucifer had done this to her, it was his fault that she’d been feeling so completely horrible all day, and if anyone deserved to deal with her pissy attitude now it was him. Lucifer’s mouth fell open slightly at her reaction, his eyes narrowing as his expression grew almost annoyed.

Silence brewed between the two of them for a moment while Lucifer took another long sip of his drink before quietly defending, “Well, it wasn’t a lie.”.

“Yeah, but it’s not the whole truth either,” Chloe growled. Lucifer simply rolled his eyes at her statement before turning away from her and sliding one of the large glass window panes open so he could step outside onto his balcony. His actions, however, only served to further irritate Chloe. He was running away from his problems, again. When would they ever get past this? “Why won’t you talk to me?” Chloe questioned, exasperation lacing her voice as she followed Lucifer out onto his balcony where the tall man was leaning against the railing. No response to her question came from the man standing beside her. Of course he was just going to try and ignore her until he left, it was easier than having to actually confront the issue. Unfortunately for Lucifer, Chloe had been dealing with him for more than long enough to have figured out how to get a response out of his when she wanted one. “Do you have any idea how much it hurts to have you constantly push me away?” She questioned, allowing her voice to crack over the words; she knew Lucifer didn’t like it when she was in pain, making sure he knew that she was hurting was always a surefire way to get him to do something, anything.

Lucifer let out a hefty sigh at her admission, his eyes slowly drifting up to stare at the few stars in the sky that were visible against the light pollution before he replied, “I have no choice but to push you away, Detective.”. His voice was almost sad this time, his gravelly tone somehow managing to convey in his infinite age. His response did nothing to help ease the pain that was still radiating throughout Chloe’s chest though, and she only groaned softly as she buried her face in her hands for a long moment as she leaned against the railing before her.

“Again, with the bullshit,” Chloe muttered so quietly that most people wouldn’t have even been able to hear her; but she knew that Lucifer wasn’t just any person, and she knew that he’d be able to hear her regardless of the muted volume.

“What do you want from me?” Lucifer asked as he finally pulled his eyes away from the vast expanse of sky and stared at her with something mournful in his expression.

“An explanation,” Chloe answered, her voice coming out a little harsher than she originally anticipated. “A _real_ explanation.” She added, a moment later with a kinder tone. She understood that the devil’s problems were probably way out of her hands, but that didn’t mean that she couldn’t listen. And after everything they’d been through together; all the stakeouts, and the shootings, and the longing glances that would never be fulfilled, didn’t she at least deserve a simple explanation?

Lucifer stared at her for a long moment that dragged on for a ridiculous amount of time before he finally returned his gaze to the dark sky surrounding them. “I resigned because…” He trailed off, letting out a soft sigh as he mulled over his words for a moment. “…Because you make me want things I can’t have.” He explained simply, his voice subdued and tainted with sorrow.

Chloe stood there in shocked silence for a few seconds as she tried to decipher the hidden meaning in his words. She made him want things that he can’t have. Was there anything that Lucifer couldn’t have if he fought for it hard enough? Well, heaven, she supposed. That was sort of out of the question, but anything else? He had more than enough money to buy what he wanted and all of the charm he’d ever need to get his way. “What’s that supposed to mean?” She asked when she finally realized that she had no clue what he was going on about.

Lucifer seemed to mull over her question for a moment as he stared at the glass resting on the railing while he traced a finger over the rim. “It’s…complicated.” He answered quietly before he reached into his pocket and pulled out his cigarette case.

Chloe watched in silence as Lucifer retrieved his lighter from his other pocket before lighting his cigarette and taking a long drag off of it. She wrinkled her nose as the acrid smell of nicotine filled the air around the two of them as she stared out at the skyline. “Well, when is it ever simple when it comes to you?” Chloe asked simply, her voice breaking the almost peaceful quiet that had grown between the two of them.

Lucifer let out a soft, almost bitter half-chuckle at the question, a puff of smoke escaping his lips from the action. “You make me miss the times when I used to have a family,” Lucifer explained simply, smoke trailing out of his mouth as he spoke. The admission caught Chloe by surprise. It wasn’t that she didn’t expect that from him, she’d seem him look at her and Trixie with something oddly mournful before; but she still couldn’t quite wrap her mind around the thought of Lucifer wanting to be domestic, he seemed quite content with his rough-and-tumble, me against the world lifestyle. When Chloe glanced over to try and evaluate his expression she found him staring at her with a melancholy half-smile. “And sometimes I can’t help but…” He trailed off as he shrugged slightly, a motion that Chloe knew he used to try and downplay the fact that something was serious, or that something mattered to him. “But long to make my own, to replace the one I lost,” Lucifer admitted quietly, and Chloe couldn’t help it when her forehead furrowed at the words. She’d imagined Lucifer being domestic on more than one occasion, but she’d never actually thought that was something he would do, or even want to do.

“I mean, I’ve even caught myself wondering what it would be like to have a spawn of my own,” Lucifer chuckled, his voice growing slightly less serious as a humored smile spread across his face. Chloe watched in silent with shock at Lucifer’s recent admission as his smile quickly died and a scowl filled its place. “It’s repulsive,” Lucifer growled, his voice taking on a harsh tone as he focused his gaze out on the twinkling city lights. “And pathetic.” He added a half-second later. Chloe slowly recovered from the shock of Lucifer admitting that the thought of being a settled family man and father didn’t send him running for the hills as another expanse of silence grew between the two before Lucifer broke it, “But, none of that even matters because-”

“Because you’re the devil,” Chloe cut him off before he could finish. The words still felt odd rolling off of her tongue despite the fact that she’d said them time and time before, she supposed the fact that one of your best friends was the devil was something that you never really got over. Lucifer simply nodded at her statement before letting out a lofty sigh.

“Precisely.” He muttered before lifting his cigarette to take another drag from it. “I mean if I ever did…settle down, then I’d just wind up giving my family a weakness to use against me,” Lucifer explained quietly, and Chloe felt a pang of sympathy for the devil. No one should have to give up the right to have a family just because they were worried that someone was going to try and use them as a form of blackmail. “And…I don’t want anyone that I care about to get hurt because I wasn’t smart enough to leave when things were safe,” Lucifer added a moment later, and his voice was so mournful that Chloe wanted to reach out and comfort him, but she had a feeling that the gesture wouldn’t exactly be appreciated at the moment.

Neither of them said anything more for a few minutes; Chloe was too caught up in her new realization that Lucifer was trying to get out of her life because he was scared that if he stuck around and they became something more, then his family would hurt her to get to him. It was a noble gesture, sacrificing your own happiness to ensure the safety of another; but what Lucifer didn’t realize was that by disconnecting from her life he wasn’t just sacrificing his happiness, he was sacrificing hers too. “Some people are worth the risk,” Chloe spoke up as Lucifer snubbed out the stub of his now burnt up cigarette. The man only let out a noncommittal hum at her statement, and Chloe glanced over at him before asking, “Aren’t you making yourself miserable by running away?”.

“How is it any different than how I’ll be miserable when dear old dad rips everything I ever loved to shreds?” Lucifer questioned, his voice dark and foreboding as he gave Chloe a sharp look. “Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.” He muttered under his breath before letting out a harsh, bitter laugh. “Story of my life.”

Chloe swallowed heavily as she realized that Lucifer had just sort of admitted, in a very backward way, that he loved her. She pushed the thought away, this wasn’t the time to dote on something like that. “If I were you I’d take the risk,” Chloe offered, but Lucifer only scoffed at her suggestion. “Better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all.” She reasoned a moment later, and Lucifer huffed out a breath that was a ghost of a laugh as a small smile graced his features.

“As eloquent as it is I don’t think Tennyson’s infamous quote applies to Satan,” Lucifer replied quietly, his voice laced with so much self-loathing that Chloe wanted to reach out and give him a hug, but once again she thought better of it before she could act on her instincts.

“Lucifer, you can have anything you want, you just have to be willing to fight for it,” Chloe tried to reason with him, but he didn’t even look over at her when she spoke. She stood there for a minute or two as she waited for him to respond, but as he continued to stand there like a statue she began to take the hint that their conversation was over regardless of whether or not she wanted it to be. Chloe drew in a long breath before resting a gentle had on Lucifer’s jacket-clad forearm. “I’ll see you around…I hope.” She breathed quietly for fear that if she spoke up her voice would break from the stress of the emotional roller coaster ride the fallen angel had taken her on today. Once again, she received no response from the man. Chloe let out a long sigh as she drew her hand away and began making her way back inside the penthouse towards the elevator. She’d done all she could, now she just had to hope for the best.

\---***---

**NINE YEARS LATER**

“Hey, mom, dad. I’m going out to meet Tyler at the mall.” Trixie’s bright voice rang through the living room as the teenager trotted past the two adults nestled on the couch and curled into each other as the old Nightmare on Elm Street movie played on the TV.

Chloe glanced over her shoulder to see her daughter scooping a set of car keys off of their hanger before she spoke up, “Have fun, monkey.”. Her husband didn’t seem as ready to let his step-daughter go though, he quickly got up from the couch and made his way over to the girl with long strides.

“Wait right there, young lady.” Trixie let out an annoyed huff as his thick british accent filled the room. “Is this like a date?” Lucifer questioned curiously, a sly smile filling his face and making the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes crinkle; the years had been kind on the devil, despite the fact that the mortality he experienced around Chloe extended to his longevity as well.

“Yeah, does that matter?” Trixie questioned, a healthy amount of teenage sass tainting her voice.

“Oh, no. I don’t really care about that part,” Lucifer chuckled as he waived the question away with his hand before lifting a single finger as he pointed at his step-daughter. “Just make sure he knows that if he hurts you, I will kill him.” He threatened playfully, but Chloe knew that he was much more serious than he let on. Trixie rolled her eyes and opened her mouth, but before she could speak another voice was cutting through the quiet house.

“I’ll kill him too!” Maze stepped out of the kitchen with a freshly popped bowl of popcorn in hand as she spoke. The years that passed had no effect on the woman, and she still looked like she did the day Chloe had met her; she was a bit envious about the eternal youth thing, but at least she had the blessing of knowing that at least her husband would age right along beside her.

“Me three!” Chloe shouted playfully as she decided to play along with the two devilish figures occupying her foyer, and her daughter let out a pained groan at the onslaught of slightly serious death threats.

“Okay, okay, I get it. You’ll all smite his ass to hell for eternity,” Trixie replied and Chloe couldn’t help but snort at just how accurate the statement was. “Can I go now?” The girl asked, her voice pleading and Chloe smiled as she waved her daughter away. She remembered what it was like to be young, and Trixie was such a good kid that she deserved to have some fun. As Trixie started making her way towards the door Maze took a seat in the unoccupied loveseat beside Chloe before popping a handful of popcorn into her mouth and focusing her attention on the TV before her.

“Do you want some condoms?” Lucifer questioned loudly as he watched his step-daughter step outside.

“No!” Trixie shouted back before closing the door a little harder than necessary. Lucifer chuckled softly at the display before turning back around to face the two women sitting in the living room. “Well, you can’t say I didn’t offer,” Lucifer sighed as he began making his way back over to his seat beside his wife.

“You’re like, the cheesiest dad ever,” Maze chuckled, and Lucifer simply let out a long sigh and rolled his eyes at the demon’s playful jab. He didn’t get to sit down beside his wife before another, much younger voice broke over the quiet along with the loud sound of tiny feet slapping against the hardwood floor.

“Mommy! Daddy!” Chloe shifted in her seat so she could watch Uriel come running out of the hallway with a huge smile plastered across his face and a piece of paper that was clenched in his chubby little hand flapping in the air. The boy was so intent on reaching his destination that he wasn’t watching where he was stepping, and he managed to trip over his own feet and almost fell down just before Lucifer swept him up with a protective arm, tucking his son against his side as the child let out an amused giggle.

“Careful,” Lucifer said with a gentle voice as he carried the child over to the couch before sitting down next to Chloe. She couldn’t help but smile at how unruly Uriel’s dark curls were, and how curious his wide blue eyes were; she already knew that he was going to be even more of a heartthrob than his father was when he finally grew up.

“I drew aunty Mazey!” Uriel stated as he lifted the piece of paper to Lucifer’s face, and her husband took it with a soft chuckle as he looked over the page for a moment before holding it up so that both Chloe and Maze could see it. Chloe smiled at the crude stick figure drawing of a woman brandishing two curved knives; and honestly, if any other four-year-kid was running around drawing pictures of people wielding weapons she’d probably be a little worried, but she expected nothing else from the son of the devil himself.

“The resemblance is uncanny,” Lucifer stated with a serious voice, earning a squeal of delight from the child perched on his lap, and a fistful of popcorn being thrown at him from an insulted demon. Chloe chuckled as she watched Uriel begin to pick the popcorn pieces off of his father and pop them in his mouth one by one while Lucifer placed the drawing on the coffee table sitting before him.

As soon as Uriel had finished eating the last piece of popcorn he began crawling off of Lucifer’s lap and towards his mother. “Where are you going?” Chloe’s husband asked the child curiously as he continued crawling over her lap before settling in against her unoccupied side, and resting his head against her ribcage.

“I wanna cuddle mommy,” Uriel answered simply as one of his hands began to toy with a strand of his mother’s golden hair.

“What about me?” Lucifer questioned, mock insult lacing his voice as he watched his son abandon his wife’s hair in favor of holding one of her hands with both of his tiny ones.

“Mommy’s better,” Uriel answered simply as he shrugged at his father, and Chloe couldn’t help but laugh at the statement before smoothing a hand over her son’s wild curls.

“Ouch,” Lucifer muttered under his breath, and she could tell that he felt the hurt in his voice more than he’d ever let anyone believe he did. They both knew that Uriel was just going through a phase where he had a new ‘favorite’ parent each day, and the next morning she knew he’d be begging his dad to make pancakes with chocolate chips in them and asking him to play his favorite song on the piano. She still felt bad that Lucifer was the one being rejected in this moment though, she knew just as well as he did how much it hurt. Chloe pulled her hand from their child’s hair and grabbed one of Lucifer’s hands before leaning into his side and interlacing their fingers. She brought his hand up to her face and planted a kiss against the back of it before she decided to speak up jokingly.

“It’s okay babe, at least I still love you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone who's curious, my Tumblr account is [@casuallydeliciousphilosopher.](http://casuallydeliciousphilosopher.tumblr.com) I open up prompt fic requests whenever I hit a major follower milestone. :)


	4. I'm only here to establish an alibi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dialogue Prompt: "I'm only here to establish an alibi.". Originally requested by [@ms-aqua-marvel](https://ms-aqua-marvel.tumblr.com).

Mazikeen was lying on her bed, cell phone in hand as she smirked at the slew of salacious texts staring back at her. She was beginning to think that the night might turn out a bit more exciting than she’d originally expected, at least that’s what she thought until a tiny knock came from her bedroom door immediately followed by a bright, juvenile voice, “Maze, can I come in?”. The demon let out a hefty sigh as she pressed the lock button on her phone, the last thing she needed was the tiny Decker taking a peep at it and asking her mom what a threesome or BDSM was.

“Whatever,” Maze shouted as she tossed her phone onto the nightstand beside her before focusing her gaze on the door that was quickly being pulled open. The demon folded her arms over her chest as she watched Trixie step inside before the girl closed the door behind herself. Normally Mazikeen would show a little more enthusiasm around her miniature Decker, but she had to admit that she was a little less than pleased that her minion-in-training was interrupting her conversation with her newest plaything. Beatrice perched on the corner of the bed, silence brewing in the room as she stared at her sneakers as though they were the most interesting things in the world. It didn’t take long for Maze to quickly tire of being interrupted for seemingly nothing, and she broke the broody silence a short moment later, “Did you need to ask for something or…?”.

As the demon trailed off Trixie looked up at her, giving her a measly smile as she simply shrugged in response. “No. I’m only here to establish an alibi,” Trixie finally answered, and Maze snorted at the statement as she refrained from rolling her eyes at the pint-sized agent of chaos.

“You even know what that means,” Mazikeen questioned as she leaned in closer to the girl, but even as the demon attempted to act uninterested she had to admit that she was at least a little bit curious about what the girl had gotten herself into this time. Undoubtedly the demon would be getting an earful from her roommate later about how she ‘needs to act like a responsible adult’ in the kid’s presence. 

“Kinda,” Beatrice answered with another lazy shrug.

Silence filled the room once again as the two stared each other down for a long moment, and eventually Maze’s curiosity got the better of her as she finally decided to ask, “So…what’s the alibi for?”. A wide grin crossed Trixie’s face at the question, and Maze couldn’t help but feel a burst of pride over what a quick study Decker’s daughter was, she was well on her way to being a certified hell-raiser herself.

“I put itching powder in Marcus’s body wash,” Trixie replied, seemingly proud with her small victory. And although it wasn’t as devious as Maze was hoping, it was a good start; but as proud as her little prodigy’s latest work made it her, it raised more questions than it provided answers.

“How is hanging out with me gonna prove you didn’t do that?” Maze questioned seriously. If anything wouldn’t that raise even more suspicions? Chloe always tried to figure out what kind of trouble the two of them were getting into whenever they spent more than ten minutes with each other.

“Because he brings his stuff here every Saturday night and takes it every Sunday morning,” Beatrice replied, and Maze only cocked her head to the side slightly as she wondered what hidden meaning the child was trying to lay down that she wasn’t picking up on.

“And?”

“And maybe you could say you were with me for that whole time and that you didn’t see me do anything?” Trixie asked hopefully as she fixed the woman with her pleading brown eyes.

“Maybe,” Maze stated simply as she stared at the miniature-maker-of-mayhem for a few long seconds. Even if the kid got caught red-handed her mother wouldn’t really punish her, maybe she’d get a time-out or grounded for a week or something, but Maze knew for a fact that Decker wasn’t the type to lay a finger on her child out of anger. “You know one of us is going to wind up taking the fall no matter what, right?” Mazikeen questioned, and Beatrice’s hopeful expression faded as soon as the words left the demon’s lips.

“Yeah…” Trixie sighed as she returned her gaze to her sneakers once again as she hunched over slightly. Maze recognized the posture, she’d seen it millions of times in hell, whatever was going on with the kid she was missing quite a bit of her usual optimistic spunk. Someone, or something, had made the little one lose hope.

“Why’d you do it?” Maze questioned as she kicked her feet off the side of the bed so that she could sit perched on the edge like her little prodigy was.

Beatrice didn’t answer right away, instead she glowered at her shoes for a few more moments before finally fixing the demon with an almost melancholy gaze as she spoke up quietly, “Because, I want Lucifer back.”. Ah, so that was why the little troublemaker seemed so down, she missed being able to torture her favorite Devil with hug attacks and Disney movies. “Lucifer’s fun, Marcus is boring…and kinda mean,” Trixie muttered quietly, a hint of resentment tainting her voice towards the end of her statement.

Maze nodded silently as she mentally agreed with the girl’s words; Marcus lacked the charm that made Lucifer come off as endearing, of course the kid would think of him as a jerk. “Your mom and Lucifer will work things out. They always do,” Maze replied, doing her best to offer some kind of support, even if she knew that she wasn’t really good with humans and their emotions. Before Beatrice could respond Maze quickly added, “And don’t worry about your alibi, I suppose that I can take the fall for you this time.”.

Trixie’s face lit up at the demon’s offer and she gave the woman a wide smile before launching herself forward and wrapping her arms tightly around her. “Thanks, Maze.” The girl breathed as the demon tensed slightly from the physical contact; it wasn’t that she didn’t like it when Beatrice touched her, but rather that she still wasn’t used to someone touching her with platonic intentions. “You’re the best,” Trixie added as she pulled away, gifting the demon with a gappy smile as she scrambled off the bed and started making her way towards the door.

Maze smiled at the compliment, not that she needed anyone to tell her what she already knew; but damn, sometimes it felt nice to be idolized a little bit. “Damn right I am.” The demon replied, earning another gappy smile from her little Decker just before the child pulled the bedroom door shut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone who's curious, my Tumblr account is [@casuallydeliciousphilosopher](http://casuallydeliciousphilosopher.tumblr.com). I open up prompt fic requests whenever I hit a major follower milestone. :)


	5. People are staring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dialogue Prompt: "People are staring.". Originally requested by [@burningupasunjusttosayhello](http://burningupasunjusttosayhello.tumblr.com) aka [@lux-i-fer](http://lux-i-fer.tumblr.com). [This song is the one at the very end of the fic](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTFdOILfZNk) ;) You'll know which one I'm talking about once you've read it.

Chloe glowered at the small invitation sitting on the top of her desk, silently willing it to burst into flames and vanish into a minuscule pile of ashes. It wasn’t that she hadn’t been expecting the annual LAPD ball, it was the same month each year; but rather, she had been expecting to already have a date to take to it. However, no such luck abounded. Marcus had decided to end their relatively short-lived relationship only a week ago, and to add insult to injury, rumor had it that he’d already asked the cute rookie to the ball. Perhaps she could ignore the ball this year, just as she had the year before; she could attempt to feign sickness at work the next day or make up a story about how she couldn’t find childcare for Trixie. She let out a grumpy harumph as she realized that a room full of cops and detectives would be able to see through her lies like they were nothing, and then the pitiful glances she’d been receiving lately would only increase tenfold; at least last year she had an actual, legitimate excuse for missing the event.

No. She was not going to make up some elaborate story that half the department would be able to see through. She was going to suck it up and go, regardless of how potentially awkward and uncomfortable the event could become considering her lack of a date. She didn’t have long to imagine all the ways that the night could go wrong before a bubbly, british accent cut over the soft drone of the precinct. “Detective!” Lucifer greeted her with an ungodly amount of enthusiasm that, of course, only he could muster up on a Monday before eight in the morning. He offered her one of his trademark smiles that was really more of a smirk as he placed a ceramic mug down right next to her keyboard. “I brought you coffee.” He explained needlessly, and Chloe couldn’t help but smile at the hazelnut colored beverage now sitting before her; if anything could fix her already lousy day then it was plenty of liquid caffeine.

“Thanks.” She mumbled softly as she reached out, latching onto the warm mug with both hands and taking small sips of the hot drink as she focused on the unread emails sitting in her inbox. She was only mildly aware that Lucifer had taken a seat in the chair sitting on the other side of her desk as she read through several pages of new department protocols and the results of a few of her recently closed cases. She’d read through nearly every piece of digital mail just before her inbox pinged with yet another e-mail to attend to. The moment she saw the subject though, a scowl crossed her face. _Annual Police Charity Ball_ , was scrawled across her screen, and when she opened the e-mail a flyer with all the pertinent details was listed. Much to Chloe’s displeasure, she quickly noticed that she was on the docket as one of the departments honored guests; apparently the fact that she had the highest close rate in the department meant that she’d not only have to go, but she’d be forced to sit at the VIP table and give a speech. So much for making it through the night with minimal embarrassment. Everyone would be staring at the only open seat at the VIP table, the seat that she was supposed to give to her plus one.

As if on cue Lucifer’s phone chose that exact moment to ping loudly, the sound drawing Chloe’s attention over to him as he pulled the tiny device from his breast pocket. The thought that maybe Lucifer could go with her ran through her mind unbidden, he certainly already had the attire he’d have to wear to attend, and it would make sense for her to bring her partner; after all, he was part of the reason why she had such a high close rate. Would he just make a scene out of it though? Would he be able to act respectable for a few hours in front of her peers and not wind up making a fool out of her? If he stepped out of line would it be more or less embarrassing than just going alone in the first place? Chloe mulled over those questions for a few moments, and even though part of her was screaming ‘abort mission, abort mission’, she wound up going against her better judgment.

“The LAPD throws a charity ball every year, and it’s coming up again in a month, and I was wondering if you would maybe want to go to it with me?” Chloe asked, her words slipping from her mouth so quickly that she was nearly tripping over them. When Lucifer glanced over at her with a puzzled expression she’d half expected him to ask her to repeat herself at a slower, more comprehensible speed; but then a wide grin split across his face and he leaned in closer to her, resting his forearms on her desk as a mischievous twinkle lit up his eyes.

“Are you asking me out on a date?” Lucifer questioned just before he pressed his tongue against the inside of his cheek and gave her a smirk. Chloe drew her attention away from her consultant as she silently cursed him for always going out of his way to tease her, he damn well knew what he was doing to her.

“No. It’s not…uh…” Chloe trailed off, shaking her head softly as she stared down at her desk for a moment as she ignored the unwanted fluttering feeling in her chest. Lucifer was her work partner, nothing more, she wasn’t going to make the mistake of getting too close to him again. “It’s not like that.”

“No?” He questioned playfully, his eyebrows lifting as he tilted his head slightly.

Chloe simply rolled her eyes, lifting her cup to her lips and taking another long sip before she replied, “No. I mean, maybe there was a time when it could have been like a date, but no…”. Chloe let out a long breath as she trailed off, silence brewing between the two for a long moment. “Not after…everything,” Chloe added, pausing slightly in the middle of the statement as she tried not to remember how much it hurt every time she was forced to watch Candy cling to Lucifer’s arm. “Look, I just…” Chloe trailed off once more as she tried to think of the best way to word her sentence to make her situation sound less pitiful. “You know that Marcus and I split up -”

“I know that he ruthlessly dumped you,” Lucifer cut her off before she could finish speaking, and the way that he made the cutting statement so nonchalantly immediately set Chloe on edge.

“Not helping.” She growled, her voice holding a hint of danger as she set her coffee mug down on her desk with much more force than was necessary. However, a moment later it seemed as though most of her wrath faded, she drew in a deep breath as she mindlessly traced her finger over the rim of her glass. “He’s taking someone way younger and way prettier to the ball and I don’t want everyone to give me pity glances all day after the event.” She explained almost robotically, her voice lacking any emotion as she stared down into the milky depths of her coffee. When Lucifer didn’t respond in a timely manner she glanced back up at him only to find him staring at her unnervingly; his lips pursed into a thin line, his eyebrows drawn together and the muscle in his jaw ticking. “What?” Chloe questioned as she tried to understand where her partner’s sudden change of mood came from.

“I seriously doubt that anyone could be ‘way prettier’ than you are, darling,” Lucifer replied, lifting his hands and making air quotes as he spoke. His expression softened slightly after he made that statement, a roguish grin lighting up his face as he leaned back into his chair. “And to answer your question, I would be honored to be your date.” He finally answered, and Chloe immediately felt a surge of relief flow through her. “Why didn’t you ask me to it last year?” Lucifer questioned curiously as he reached across her desk, pulling Chloe’s coffee mug out from under her hands before lifting it to his lips and taking a long sip.

The Detective pursed her lips into a thin line, mildly miffed that Lucifer stole the drink that he’d just offered her a few minutes ago. “I didn’t go last year,” Chloe explained simply, offering her partner a shrug as he returned her mug to its rightful spot beside her keyboard. “Between Palmetto and everything else that’d happened I decided that Trixie needed me at home with her more than the department needed me at some silly dance.” She added a moment later as she wrapped her hands around her coffee and pulled it closer to herself, lest Lucifer steal it from her again.

Lucifer drummed his fingertips softly against the top of her desk as he made a quiet humming sound, he could understand that her spawn might need the reassurance of her presence after the trauma of being kidnapped, but even now the Detective seemed to loathe the prospect of a charity ball. There had to be some deeper reason that she didn’t want to go. There was no way that she could possibly have trouble finding a date; she was beautiful, strong, and intelligent. Who wouldn’t want to spend their evening with her? Perhaps she’d had a bad experience in prior years? Or maybe she just didn’t know how to properly enjoy herself at a ball, after all, they weren’t exactly the go-to festivities for humans these days. “Do you know how to ballroom dance, Detective?” He questioned curiously as his eyes flicked up to meet her own wide, aqua orbs.

“Of course not,” Chloe scoffed slightly before immediately continuing, “Only like three people in the whole department do.”. She didn’t really see why her formal dancing skills mattered, hardly anyone ever danced at that thing anyway, most people just stood around chatting each other up and helping themselves to the snack buffet that was rolled out the moment dinner ended. Apparently Lucifer expected something different from the event, because the moment she answered he made a soft, almost discontented humming sound.

“Well, that certainly won’t do,” Lucifer muttered, and Chloe only raised her eyebrows as she stared him down and took a long sip of her coffee.“You can’t enjoy yourself at a dance if you’re not dancing!” He exclaimed a moment later, his voice loud enough to draw an annoyed glare from the Detective sitting at the desk nearest to Chloe’s. Before she could even begin to reprimand him for not using his inside voice he was speaking up again, “I’ll give you some lessons.”.

Chloe’s reprimand died in her throat at the offer, surprise rushing through her as she stared at Lucifer through slightly narrowed eyes. “Oh, and suddenly you know how to ballroom dance?” She questioned, the skepticism lacing her voice nearly palatable.

Lucifer only chuckled at her question, a small, amused smile crossing his face for a moment. “I’ve known how to for a very long time.” He explained, leaning forward in his seat and resting his forearms on the top of her desk as his grin grew more mischievous. “We can set up a day for you to drop by Lux and I’ll teach you everything you need to know to make Marcus eat his heart out,” Lucifer offered, and Chloe had to admit that the thought of making Marcus regret his actions satisfied some small, dark part of her. “Sound like a plan?”

“Sounds like a plan, partner,” Chloe answered after only a half-second of deliberation. Besides, it was just a dance lesson.

\---***---

Chloe pushed open the front door to the club and stepped inside slowly, part of her on edge over the fact that the place was so deserted. It was already dark outside and it was a very rare occasion when Lux didn’t have a line stretching around the building at this time in the evening, yet there wasn’t a single soul in sight. She made her way to the staircase leading down into the club silently, looking out over the dancefloor to see it completely deserted except for Lucifer and one of his bartenders perched on barstools at the far end of the room. “I was expecting it to be a little more busy in here,” Chloe spoke up, her voice ringing through the empty room with ease and immediately gaining the attention of both men.

Lucifer offered her a toothy grin as he watched her descend the stairs into Lux. “I decided to close the club for the night.” He explained simply as he stood up, grabbing his glass off the bar as he turned to face the Detective. “How in the world would I be able to teach you how to dance properly if someone was bumping into you every time you took a step?” Lucifer asked as Chloe closed the last of the distance between the two of them.

“Lucifer, you didn’t have to shut down for the whole night just for a silly dance lesson,” Chloe replied, her voice soft. She didn’t even want to imagine how much money he was losing by closing shop, this place would have already been packed to the brim with partygoers if he’d just opened his doors.

Lucifer simply chuckled at her words before immediately replying, “I never _have_ to do anything. I wanted to.”. Chloe stood there in shocked silence for a moment as she silently reminded herself not to take his words the wrong way. She shifted awkwardly as she struggled to think of how to reply to that in a professional manner when Lucifer’s voice was breaking the silence once more, “Do you want a drink before we start?”.

Chloe shook her head the second Lucifer held the glass in his hand out towards her, earning a slightly puzzled look from the suit-clad man. “No thanks. Trust me, your feet will thank me later.” She explained, drawing a quiet chuckle from Lucifer just before he brought the glass to his lips and tipped back the contents in one fluid motion.

“So, I take it you’ve never had a dance lesson before,” Lucifer stated, setting his empty glass down on the bartop before shedding his jacket and resting it on his abandoned stool. Chloe shook her head in response, worrying her lower lip between her teeth. “Well don’t look so distraught, it’s not that hard,” Lucifer reassured her as he stepped forward, wrapping an arm around the Detective’s shoulders before pulling her with him into the center of the club.

As soon as Lucifer pulled his arm away Chloe took a few steps back, purposely putting a little bit of space between the two of them. She was just glad that Lucifer thought that she was worried about the dancing itself, if he knew what she was actually worried about he’d never let her live it down. “So where do we start?” Chloe asked as she looked around the club in an attempt to ignore the fact that she definitely had a thing for Lucifer in vests.

“You’re a beginner, so I think it’s safe to say that the Foxtrot would probably be a good place to start,” Lucifer answered, seemingly unaware of the tension Chloe could feel in the air. Or maybe that tension just didn’t exist for him, after all, he clearly never liked her that much to just forget about her like last night’s leftovers right after she nearly died.

“Okay.” She replied lamely, still attempting to avoid his gaze as she silently scolded herself for ever thinking that having Lucifer teach her how to ballroom dance would be a good idea. It was obvious that she hadn’t been thinking clearly two weeks ago when she’d agreed to this.

“You’re going to have to get a bit closer than that,” Lucifer chuckled, gesturing to the gap between them with an open hand and a toothy grin. Chloe finally resigned herself to meet his gaze, swallowing heavily as she prayed that the hint of humor in his eyes wasn’t there because he’d realized that her real trepidation wasn’t over the dancing itself, but rather her partner. “Don’t worry, I won’t bite.” Chloe rolled her eyes at the joke, a small smile gracing her face as she shook her head and stepped forward, effectively closing the bulk of the gap between the two of them. “I mean, unless you have a thing for that,” Lucifer added a second later, and Chloe let out a noise that was half scoff, half chuckle as she playfully slapped his shoulder with the back of her hand. Lucifer’s grin only grew at her reaction, and silence brewed between the two of them for a moment before Chloe cleared her throat quite pointedly. Lucifer pulled himself back together quickly, reaching out and grabbing Chloe’s left hand, apparently startling her slightly, judging by the slight flinch at his touch. He quickly lifted her arm, resting her hand on his left shoulder blade. “Your hand goes right up here.” He said softly as he pulled his hand from hers, reaching out once again to grab Chloe’s other hand.

“And we hold hands like this,” Lucifer explained as he wrapped his fingers around Chloe’s hand, and she swallowed as she tried to ignore how much larger his palm was, and the way his fingers wrapped elegantly around hers, and the slight callouses that she assumed had to be from his piano. “Music please, Patrick,” Lucifer requested a moment before upbeat piano notes cut through the silence, the speakers spilling them out at a low enough volume that she was still able to hear her partner speak with ease. “Now, it’s quite simple. It’s one long slow step, followed by two shorter quick steps, and then a slight turn.” He explained patiently, and Chloe tried to ignore the nearly palatable tension that she could feel growing between them. She nodded simply, earning a slight smile from the tall man who simply added, “Just follow my lead.”. She nearly tripped the second Lucifer stepped forward, not expecting him to start so suddenly. Lucifer let out a soft half-chuckle at her reaction, only serving to make Chloe narrow her eyes in slight annoyance as he stepped forward once again, and this time she managed to move less robotically, anticipating his moves as she recalled the steps he’d explained to her. She quickly looked down at the floor, wanting the reassurance of knowing exactly where she was stepping, and knowing that with her luck she’d still manage to step on Lucifer’s feet even though she was the one stepping backward.

“Don’t watch your feet,” Lucifer reprimanded her as soon as he realized what she was doing, he full well knew that if he didn’t break that bad habit now it would be hell to fix it later. “Look at me.” He instructed a half-second later, offering the Detective a half-smile as her gaze drifted upwards to meet his. “That’s it.” He reassured her as he turned them slightly before stepping forward again. Chloe moved awkwardly at first, but she quickly got the hang of it and her movements became more fluid. It was easier than he’d like to admit to lose himself in the aqua depths of her eyes, and part of him wished he hadn’t botched things as badly as he did with her, especially now that he’d learned that she truly did have free will and the ability to pick whomever she pleased as a romantic partner. But still, part of him was glad that she’d moved on; after all, she truly did deserve someone better than him, and better than that pillock Lieutenant. Still, though, a man could dream.

\---***---

Chloe leaned against the bartop, she was breathing heavily and sweat was making her shirt stick to her skin uncomfortably, but despite her current state, she couldn’t wipe the mile-wide smile from her face as she grabbed a lowball glass and filled it with some unmarked amber liquid. “I’m exhausted,” Chloe breathed when Lucifer leaned on the bar beside her, looking no worse for wear, the damn man. The foxtrot hadn’t been particularly hard for Chloe to master, the waltz had been harder to get down, there were so many steps to remember and it was easy to forget when to move which way, and Lucifer’s Italian loafers had suffered dearly. But the real challenge had been the tango, it was complex, confusing, fast-paced; not to mention that she had to trust Lucifer to pick her up several times, but she knew that it wasn’t trusting him that had bothered her, she already trusted him. What bothered her was that she had to let him so close, but what bothered her more was that she secretly relished in every look, every touch, every breath that mingled unnecessarily. Why did she have to have some stupid, pitiful crush on a man who’d already made it clear that he wasn’t interested in anything she had to offer?

“Too tired for sex then?” Lucifer asked, a playful glint in his eye as he took the decanter from her and poured himself a glass of spirits to match hers. Chloe snorted at his joke, rolling her eyes as she lifted her glass to her lips and took a long sip of what she quickly identified as whiskey, trying not to cough at the burn that followed. Lucifer chuckled softly at her response, setting the decanter down on the bartop before lifting his glass, but he was quickly stopped when Chloe rested her free hand on his forearm lightly. He quickly looked up at her with a befuddled expression, and Chloe smiled softly at the sight.

“Thank you, for everything.” She said quietly as she removed her hand from his person. She knew that Lucifer didn’t have to take time out of his day to teach her how to ballroom dance for the event, and she knew that he’d taken a bit of a loss by not turning any profits tonight. And despite his usual Luciferness, he’d been quite gentlemanly, and he’d had much more patience with her than she would have had with him if their roles had been reversed. If anything, this night had only served to remind her that no matter how much she tried to deny it, that there was some small part of her that might never stop longing for him to be more than a work partner or good friend.

“It was my pleasure, Detective,” Lucifer replied, an almost melancholy smile gracing his features as he held his glass out towards her, and she smiled softly as she lifted her glass and clinked it against his gently. The ringing sound of glass echoing through the empty club as the two stood side by side under the warm heat of the golden lights shining down on them.

\---***---

Chloe ran her hands against the smooth red satin of her dress nervously as she sat at the crowded VIP table, Lucifer was sitting beside her in a tuxedo that she may have stared at for just a little too long when he’d picked her up from her house. The beginning of the event had gone much better than she’d anticipated, but now she was going to be called next to give her speech, and she was silently praying to whatever God would listen that she wouldn’t mess up the lines she’d been rehearsing all week. Almost as though he could sense her nervous energy Lucifer bumped his knee against hers under the table, immediately gaining her attention as she glanced over at him to find him giving her a reassuring smile, and she could practically hear him telling her to relax in that perfect british accent of his. She’d just returned his smile when her attention was drawn away by the feminine voice spilling out of the speakers, “And now, a word from our top performing Detective of the year, Chloe Decker.”.

A chorus of applause filled the room, and Chloe swallowed nervously as she forced herself to stand up and make her way over to the podium sitting proudly at the very front of the reception hall. She tried to ignore the weight of everyone’s gazes on her as she carefully walked up the few steps before shaking hands with the Mayor of the city who quickly relinquished the microphone to her. Chloe cleared her throat as she turned to face the expectant faces that were all staring at her curiously as they awaited her speech, and for a moment she felt the overwhelming feeling of stage fright overcome her before she found Lucifer’s gaze in the crowd and he sent her a playful wink. She smiled and shook her head softly at him as she lifted the microphone so she could speak into it, drawing in a deep breath as she returned her gaze to the crown of people seated before her.

“Thank you,” Chloe began simply, smiling at the crowd before immediately adding, “I’m honored to stand before you all tonight and speak, but the truth is that I would never be standing up here if it wasn’t for the help and support of so many of my colleagues.”. Her voice shook slightly as she began, but she quickly reigned it in as she summoned all of her rusty acting skills. “Every officer, detective, and forensic scientist in the LAPD deserves the highest praise.” She stopped just long enough to draw in a breath before continuing, “I, personally, have to thank Detective Espinoza,” Chloe paused as she gestured towards her ex-husband with an open palm, and everyone’s gaze quickly turned to him as he stood up from his seat at the acknowledgment. “For always helping me with the paper trail that accompanies cases,” Chloe explained, earning a humble smile from him as he bowed his head in respect before retaking his seat.

“Crime scene technician Ella Lopez,” Chloe focused her gaze on the stunning young woman dressed in a sequined black gown as she stood up at Chloe’s recognition. “For being one of the brightest young women I’ve ever met, and for her positivity even in the face of grisly crime scenes.” Ella’s face lit up with a bright smile and she quickly wiped away a tear before sending an air kiss Chloe’s way. The blonde laughed at the gesture, shaking her head as she smiled at her friend as she reassumed her seat. Chloe quickly turned her gaze back to the VIP table as she quickly regained her professional composure. “Lieutenant Marcus Pierce,” Chloe spoke up, proud of the momentary look of surprise that crossed her ex-boyfriend’s face as she stood, and the look of envy that his cute rookie date sent her way. “For saving my life once, I hope that I’ll be able to repay you for your act of selflessness and bravery someday.” She stated, her voice all business and no emotion, very much unlike her two previous mentions.

Marcus simply nodded once before sitting down, and Chloe quickly turned her attention to another man sitting at the VIP table. “And last, but most certainly not least, I need to thank my civilian consultant and partner, Lucifer Morningstar.” Lucifer sent her a beaming smile as he stood up, quickly smoothing his hands over the lines of his perfectly tailored tuxedo as he looked up at her with something close to reverence in his warm gaze. Chloe couldn’t help but return the over-enthusiastic smile naturally before she continued, “Lucifer, like any two people who work in close quarters, we’ve been through good times and bad times together; and I know that the future will continue to bring both times of trial and times of peace. But I also know, that as long as I have you working beside me, I’ll be able to face whatever storms may come,” Chloe spoke, her voice solemn as she watched Lucifer’s cheerful expression soften into something more tender that she tried not to read into too much. “You’ve saved my life, time, and time…and time again.” A small chorus of laughter filled the room, and she figured that most people assumed that she was exaggerating. Chloe paused just long enough for the sound to die down before she continued, “You’ve saved my daughter’s life, and you’ve gotten us out of more close call situations than I care to count.” She added seriously, and she immediately noticed the slight shift in the atmosphere around her as everyone seemed to sober up at her words.

“You test my patience, but you also make me a better Detective.” Lucifer chuckled at the statement, his voice breaking the thick silence with ease, and Chloe couldn’t help it when a small laugh of her own followed his. They both knew that the first half of her sentence was a bit of an understatement. She swallowed thickly as Lucifer’s smile softened, and before she could think any better of it, her next words were leaving her mouth before her mind could catch up with them, “And honestly, there have been days that the only reason I wanted to go to work was because I knew you’d be waiting there for me with a coffee, and a smile, and some mildly inappropriate joke on the tip of your tongue.”. The subdued mood covering the crowd seemingly dissipated at her statement, the sound of laughter filling the room once again; but Chloe hardly even recognized it as she stared at her partner, his mouth falling agape slightly as he stared up at her with an expression that was somehow mournful and hopeful at the same time. Chloe quickly realized that they’d been staring at each other for slightly longer than it was socially acceptable when the crowd’s laughter died down, and her eyes quickly flicked down to the pedestal before her as she drew in a long breath before looking back over at her partner. “So, Lucifer, thank you,” Chloe breathed as she offered her partner a small, hopefully professional looking smile.

Lucifer stood there in silence for a brief moment before quickly pulling himself back together, his mouth snapping shut as he offered her one of his trademark smiles. “You’re welcome, Detective.” He replied, his voice ringing through the silent reception hall with ease despite his lack of a microphone. He sat back down a moment later, and Chloe tried to ignore the quiet hum of a few whispers that broke the silence as she refocused her gaze on the crowd seated before her.

“And thank you to every officer who puts their life on the line daily to keep this city safe,” Chloe went on with ease, the rest of her speech coming naturally to her as she tried to ignore the familiar swirl of emotions that she always had to force away when she thought of her civilian consultant. “And thank you for each and every one of you who donate to the LAPD, your contributions help us, and help the citizens of this city more than we could ever explain.” She finished eloquently, immediately earning a roar of applause from the crowd as she stepped back from the pedestal, turning towards the Mayor who quickly came forward and took the microphone from her before shaking her hand. Chloe made her way down the stairs quickly, and she was already re-taking her seat when the Mayor’s bubbly voice cut over the drone of noise filling the hall.

“Wow. What a heartfelt speech from Detective Decker!” The crowd applauded her one last time as she settled back down into her seat, trying, and failing to ignore the obvious weight of Lucifer’s gaze on her. She only lasted a few short moments before she caved and glanced over at him, his dark eyes held a sort of almost uncharacteristic seriousness, and the hint of a smile that was just barely tugging at the corner of his mouth made him look almost sentimental. Chloe opened her mouth to ask him why he was staring, but before she could get a word out the speakers were cutting through the silence,“Now, would you please welcome Lieutenant Marcus Pierce to the stage.”. Both Chloe and Lucifer immediately returned their attention to the stage as Marcus strode forward before taking the microphone from the Mayor and turning towards the crowd.

“I have a great group of hardworking people under my command. They all deserve more recognition than they get,” Marcus stated, his voice gruff and monotone as he quickly glanced around the large room. “Thank you, to all of my officers.” He stated, earning a few nods of approval from a couple of the officers littered around the room. “And thank you, to our contributors.” Marcus stepped back from the podium as soon as he finished, ending his speech a bit prematurely in Chloe’s opinion; but she knew that he wasn’t exactly a man of many words, even back when they’d been dating and he’d opened up a bit he wasn’t exactly a big talker.

The Mayor seemed surprised when Marcus quickly handed her the microphone before making his way offstage, but she quickly composed herself as she stepped up to the podium with a wide smile on her face. “Thank you, Lieutenant.” She spoke before clapping politely, drawing applause from the crowd who also seemed a little off-put by the Lieutenant’s speech, or rather, lack thereof. “Well then, without further ado, let the festivities begin.” The Mayor said with a wide smile, earning a roar of applause from the crowd moments before the band started playing some upbeat jazzy tune. Chloe felt Lucifer’s hand brush against her bare shoulder and she quickly glanced over at him, watching as he opened his mouth to say something a moment before she felt another warm hand rest on her other shoulder. She quickly turned to look over her other shoulder, an older man who’d been sitting at the VIP table across from her gave her a gentle smile as he pulled his hand away.

“May I have the pleasure?” He asked politely, holding his hand out towards her as he nodded in the direction of the spacious dancefloor taking up the middle of the reception hall.

“Of course,” Chloe replied, plastering a smile on her face as she immediately realized that any civilian that’d been seated at the VIP table was a top contributor to the department, it would be in poor taste to tell one of their top donators no. Chloe wrapped her hand around his as she stood up, quickly glancing over at Lucifer and mouthing the words ‘I’ll be back’ as the man began to lead her away from her partner. Lucifer only chuckled under his breath, lifting his champagne glass to his lips and taking a long sip as she departed.

As soon as they reached the dance floor they began swaying softly to the music, and Chloe couldn’t help but smile as she remembered when Lucifer told her that ‘people who aren’t classically trained typically consider acceptable ballroom dancing to simply be swaying to the music’. She certainly didn’t mind though, and most of the other couples on the dance floor were doing exactly the same thing. As the night dragged on Chloe found someone new asking her to dance every time her latest dancing partner relinquished her company. She wasn’t sure how many people she’d chatted with while swaying to the music, or how long she’d even been out on the dance floor, but Lucifer’s dance lessons came in handy on a few occasions when she found herself paired with a more experienced partner. There were a few times when she wondered why she was suddenly so popular this year, and she quickly assumed that it was because she’d been thrown in the spotlight as the LAPD’s top performing Detective, an honor that she’d never been given in prior years.

When Chloe finally found herself without a partner once again she was grateful that she finally had a moment to take a breather, but it didn’t last long before yet another person was seeking her company. “Would you indulge me this next dance?” She smiled as soon as she heard Lucifer’s rumbling british accent. She quickly turned to face him and found him leaning nonchalantly against the table behind him, his hands tucked in his pockets.

“Of course.” She answered as Lucifer righted himself, stepping forward and wrapping an arm around her waist as the two ambled into the center of the mostly empty dance floor. The first few chords of some dark sounding, jazzy rock song struck up as Lucifer released his grip around her waist, stepping in front of her so that she was facing his back. She immediately recognized the starting position for the tango that Lucifer had taught her a week ago, and she couldn’t help but smirk, of course he’d choose to dance with her when the song that was playing was perfect for a tango.

As soon as the singer began Chloe ran her hand under Lucifer’s arm and slowly trailed it up his chest teasingly, just as she’d been taught. Lucifer lifted his hand a moment later, resting it on top of hers lightly just as she began to slowly draw away. Her smile only grew as she quickly recognized the lyrics to the song that was playing, and for a second she wondered why she expected anything less of Lucifer. She slowly trailed her hand across the panes of his back as she stepped around him, one of his hands resting lightly on her waist as she moved in front of him before slowly twirling into the firm embrace of his arms; allowing him to support her weight as his other arm wrapped around her back. One of his hands rested on her hip while his other trailed slowly up her ribcage, stopping just under the curve of her chest as he bent down just enough to teasingly skim the tip of his nose up from her cheekbone to her temple.

“You planned this on purpose didn’t you,” Chloe whispered just loudly enough for Lucifer to hear, and she could feel him smirk against her hair as a soft huff of breath that she was fairly certain was a chuckle escaped him. Lucifer stepped forward, leading her into a twirl that forced the two of them chest to chest. On cue, Chloe wrapped one hand around the back of his neck, her fingers burying themselves in the short hairs at his nape as her other hand wrapped around his bicep. Lucifer lowered his head at her touch, their noses brushing together as he gave her one of her trademark smirks and she scolded herself for the butterflies that quickly formed in her stomach.

“Guilty as charged.” He chuckled softly, his voice deeper and breathier than she’d been expecting, which only made another swarm of unwanted emotions flutter through her. She tried to ignore them as she slowly ran her hand down the length of his arm while Lucifer slowly turned them around and around again in a series of steps that Chloe was grateful that she managed to keep up with. When Lucifer led her into yet another twirl she spun into it gracefully, stopping when he wrapped an arm around her waist steadily, his other hand ever so lightly brushing against the curve of her ribs and he led the both of them forward a few steps before drawing Chloe’s chest against his once more.

Chloe’s breath caught in her throat as he lowered his head until their lips were mere millimeters from touching, and some part of her desperately wished that he’d just close that last tiny gap. “If I trip and make a fool of myself I’m going to blame you.” She breathed shakily, and Lucifer smiled softly at her quiet words as he ever so slowly ran his hand up her side.

“Oh come now, we both know I’d never allow that.” He replied, sounding just as affected as she did much to her surprise. She didn’t have long to mull over the way his voice sounded as he slowly ran his hand up under her arm, lifting it in the air with ease as she tried not to think about how absolutely sinful his warm hands felt trailing against her bare skin. He opened his hand for her as he reached her palm, and she slowly wrapped her fingers around it. Before she knew it Lucifer was stepping forward, making her walk backward and she quickly glanced around the room as she tried to focus on not missing a step or ruining another pair of Lucifer’s shoes. But glancing around quickly proved itself a mistake as she realized that they were quite literally the only couple on the dance floor, and that there was an uncomfortably large amount of people staring at the two of them as they stepped to the music. Chloe swallowed nervously as she forced herself to return her attention to Lucifer, putting as much focus as she could summon into attempting to remember where to step next. Her efforts seemed to pay off, she managed to keep up with him gracefully enough despite the nerves from being watched by such a large crowd, and the fluttering feeling in her chest from Lucifer being so close and being so…well, him.

Chloe drew in a sharp breath when Lucifer picked her up with ease, spinning them both in a circle before placing her back down on her feet a moment later. And the moment she managed to regain her bearing and return her hands where they belonged Lucifer was stepping forward again, and Chloe was beginning to curse herself for saying yes to this dance. Her nerves had been worked up enough when it had just been the two of them twirling together on the dancefloor in Lux; but here, with a crowd full of onlookers, a crowd partially comprised of her coworkers and friends, she simultaneously found herself wanting to melt through the floor and wanting Lucifer to drag her back to Lux and show her that his best moves weren’t ones that he could show her on the dancefloor. When Lucifer suddenly tipped her backward, one of his arms behind her back as he supported her and his other hand nestled in the crook of her knee as he lifted her leg in the air, she made a small, muffled sound of surprise before quickly whispering, “Lucifer, people are staring.”.

She watched his eyes flick around the room quickly before he gave her one of his roguish grins as he pulled her upright so she could stand on her own two feet once more. “Ignore them. Just focus on me.” He replied as though it was the simplest answer in the world, and maybe it was; it wasn’t like she was exactly thinking clearly when her heart was racing with nerves, and the only thing she could smell was his spicy cologne, and his hands were drawing goosebumps on her skin everywhere that he touched. He stepped around her as she drew in a long breath in an attempt to clear her mind, his chest brushing against her back as his hands ran slowly down her arms and his hot breath tickled the shell of her ear. Part of her was glad for the space when he stepped back a bit and led her into a twirl, but the other part of her immediately regretted the loss of his touch. Thankfully she didn’t have to miss the feeling of his hands roaming across her back for long as he stepped forward, wrapping both of his arms around her waist and drawing them together as he stopped her mid-spin.

Chloe drew in a long, shaking breath as Lucifer lowered his head so their noses were brushing once again, and Chloe wrapped her arms around his shoulders as she felt his warm breath fanning against her face, her fingers digging into the fabric of his jacket as though they had a mind of their own, and maybe they did, she couldn’t be so sure anymore. She knew that Lucifer was going to step away any second so he could continue their dance; but there was part of her that just wouldn’t allow the loss of his touch, part of her that needed to know what this tension between them could morph into if she just gave it a chance to grow. As she stared into her partner’s dark eyes she knew that she was probably going to regret this the next morning, but damn it all if she denied herself the chance to indulge at least once.

Chloe leaned up onto the very tips of her toes as she closed that last gap of distance separating them, and then Lucifer’s lips were on her’s, just like she remembered from that day on the beach; soft, and gentle, and a hint of stubble scratching deliciously against her chin and the tip of her nose. She barely even registered the small, muffled noise that Lucifer made in the back of his throat as one of his hands traveled up her back and buried itself in her free-flowing tresses. She pulled away when her lungs started to protest the lack of oxygen, panting softly as she stared up at her partner as he stared down at her with shock and awe etched into his features. “Lux?” Chloe breathed softly, and Lucifer swallowed heavily at the implications of her request before letting out a shuddering breath of his own.

“With pleasure, darling.” He murmured quietly, pulling away just far enough to wrap his arm around her shoulders and start to drag her towards the exit, his strides so long that Chloe struggled to keep up with him. She didn’t know exactly where the night was headed, but when she caught a glimpse of Ella giving her a double thumbs up and a huge smile she quickly decided that she’d be damned if it didn’t end with the feeling of black silk sheets brushing against her bare skin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone who's curious, my Tumblr account is [@casuallydeliciousphilosopher](http://casuallydeliciousphilosopher.tumblr.com). I open up prompt fic requests whenever I hit a major follower milestone. :)


	6. It's three in the morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dialogue Prompt: "It's three in the morning.". Originally requested by an anonymous asker.

Chloe was pulled from her dreams when the feeling of a large hand shaking her shoulder began to rouse her from the wonderful haze of sleep. Nothing hurt when she was asleep, but now that she was being pulled into consciousness she was quickly reminded of the pain radiating through her skull, the unbearable itch in the back of her throat, the uncomfortable twist in her stomach; and most of all, the overwhelming cold that made her body rack with an involuntary shudder. She slowly cracked an eye open, the glaring red numbers on her alarm clock cutting through the dark like a lighthouse cutting through the ocean fog. She groaned when she read the time, burying her face deeper into her pillow as she prayed that sleep would return to her quickly, lest she be forced to lay there in pain until the sun eventually rose. She’d only just began to relax once more when the hand was shaking her shoulder again, pulling a grumpy grumble from the sleepy detective.

“Chloe?” A concerned voice broke the silence quietly, and she groaned at the noise, her head throbbing painfully. “You need to wake up, darling.” The voice continued, and it took her a moment to register just whose voice it was, but the thick British accent was a dead giveaway.

“It’s three in the morning,” Chloe grumbled before burying her head deeper into her pillow in hopes that it would do something to help dull Lucifer’s voice which was much too loud at the moment.

“Yes, I’m aware, but —”

“No buts. Go away,” Chloe cut Lucifer off before he could continue. Why didn’t her boyfriend seem to understand that humans needed significantly more sleep than angels did? Under normal circumstances she would’ve been able to tolerate him, but not right now, everything hurt and it was just so cold. She momentarily wondered if Lucifer stole all of the blankets from her for the umpteenth time this week, but her train of thought was cut short by another viscous bought of chills.

“Darling,” Lucifer spoke up once again, his hand wrapping around her upper arm as he rolled her onto her back with ease despite her groaning protests and her feeble struggling. “You need to take more medicine. It’s been six hours,” Lucifer continued, his voice pounding against her skull just before she heard the click of a bedside lamp being turned on and light flooded through the room, making her squint painfully as she let out another groan. She slowly managed to recollect her memories of the previous day, her and Lucifer were supposed to go on a date, but she’d felt like crap and when she took her temperature she’d quickly learned that she had a one-hundred and one-degree fever. She’d taken the proper medications and went about her day despite the discomfort, she couldn’t shirk her responsibilities just because she had the flu. But as the day went on her condition only worsened, and by the time only a few hours remained until she was supposed to meet up with her boyfriend she’d accepted that she was in no condition for a night out.

She’d called him after that to cancel their plans, immediately earning a volley of questions that she’d been forced to answer; she’d reassured him that he’d done nothing wrong, that everything was alright, and no, her car had not broken down again. Of course, Lucifer was so insistent that she eventually just came out with it and told him that she was down with a cold, probably the same one that Trixie had a mere three days ago. She’d told him time and time again that he should just stay at Lux, she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself; and besides, Trixie would more than pleased with the opportunity to ‘play doctor’. But of course he’d refused to listen to her, and a mere thirty minutes later he was at her doorstep with a styrofoam container filled with chicken noodle soup and a concerned expression plastered across his face. She had to admit that he’d been more than helpful despite his minimal experience dealing with sick humans, and he’d done a pretty decent job overall; if anything he was too concerned.

He’d tried to convince her to go to the doctor more times than she cared to recall, and then he meticulously read over each label adorning the bottles of medication that Chloe had been taking, and she’d found it adorable that the big bad devil was so worried about a little cold. But at this point, his unnecessary coddling was becoming incredibly frustrating. She needed sleep more than she needed another mouthful of fever reducers and cough syrup. She grumbled sleepily when Lucifer shoved a thermometer into her mouth, earning herself a very motherly response of, “Well do you want to get better or not?”. As soon as it started beeping and Lucifer took a look at it he made a discontented humming noise before immediately turning to the various bottles of pills and syrups spread out across the nightstand beside him.

Before she knew it Chloe was being handed two large blue pills and a small plastic cup filled with bright red ‘cherry’ flavored cough syrup. “Why are you torturing me like this?” She mumbled grumpily as she managed to sit up. Chloe lifted the flimsy plastic cup to her lips and grimaced as she swallowed the thick concoction that definitely didn’t taste like any cherry she’d ever encountered during her thirty-six years on this planet. “Should’ve let me stay asleep.” She added resentfully when he offered her a glass of water.

“I’m only looking out for you,” Lucifer replied softly while she gratefully took a long sip of the water, happy to wash the taste of the cough syrup away. “We both know I’d never be able to forgive myself if your feeble human body gave out on my watch.” He continued as she popped both of the pills into her mouth before swallowing them down with several gulps of water.

“I’m not feeble,” Chloe grumbled before downing the last dredges of water in her glass. She shoved the glass vaguely in Lucifer’s direction and groaned when another sharp pain resonated through her skull.

“Not typically.” Her boyfriend replied as he took the glass from her before immediately continuing, “But I’m reconsidering at the moment.”.  
Chloe growled under her breath as she flopped back against the bed, pulling the covers up over her head as she turned so that she was facing away from her boyfriend. “Jerk.” She mumbled, earning a soft chuckle from the man just before she heard the bedside lamp click off and felt him lay back down beside her.

“Well, goodnight to you too darling.”

\---***---

The sunlight filtering through the drapes was what finally woke Chloe up, she slowly blinked in the light, thankfully realizing that she didn’t feel nearly as bad as she did last night. Her throat was still a little raw and she still felt nauseous, but considering how she felt yesterday she was willing to call that a win. The next thing that she registered was the absolutely heavenly smell filling her room, just a hint of vanilla mixed with something buttery; it was almost enough to pique her nonexistent appetite. The muted sound of Trixie’s laughter reached her ears, and it was enough to spur her to get up out of bed, she quickly freshened up a bit in the bathroom before padding downstairs.

“Good morning mommy!” Trixie’s bright voice greeted her the second she stepped into the kitchen, the sound immediately pulling Lucifer’s attention from the bowl of batter before him as he quickly looked over at her before flashing her one of his trademark grins. Chloe returned his smile quickly as she closed the distance between herself and her daughter who was currently perched at the kitchen bar.

“Hey, baby,” Chloe greeted her child, giving her a quick hug before sitting down beside her. “What’s going on in here?” She asked as she turned her attention back to her boyfriend, he opened his mouth to reply but Trixie was answering before he could get a word out.

“Lucifer’s making waffles!” Trixie exclaimed, a gappy smile filling her face, and Chloe chuckled softly at her daughter’s overwhelming enthusiasm.

“Of course you have to make waffles when I feel too sick eat them,” Chloe shook her head as she fixed her gaze on her boyfriend.

“It was what the little miscreant desired,” Lucifer defended when the waffle iron beeped and he turned around to tend to it. “I promise I’ll make it up to you when you’re feeling better.” He added, his voice holding a sultry undertone that alluded to the promise of ‘breakfast in bed’ in the near future. “Speaking of, it’s time,” Lucifer added, his tone apologetic as he turned to face her, plucking the dreaded thermometer out of his shirt’s breast pocket before holding it out towards her.

Chloe took the tiny device with a reluctant sigh, turning it on with the push of a button before obediently tucking it under her tongue. Thirty seconds seemed to drag on for an eternity as Lucifer tended to breakfast and Trixie impatiently fidgeted in her chair. Chloe was relieved when the thermometer finally beeped, pulling it from her mouth and letting out a breath of relief when she noticed that it read 97.9 degrees, perhaps Lucifer would stop forcing cough syrup and pills down her throat now. Her boyfriend took the thermometer from her a moment later, the concern on his features relaxing as he read the numbers on the display. “How are you feeling?” He questioned quietly as he rested the plastic device on the kitchen island.

“A lot better. Nauseous. But better,” Chloe answered honestly as Lucifer reached out, resting one of his hands on top of hers, his thumb brushing back and forth across her skin slowly as he nodded softly at her words.

“Do you want anything?”

Chloe mulled over the question for a moment before responding, “Coffee sounds good.”.

A smile grew on Lucifer’s face at her answer, a quiet half-chuckle escaping him. “Perhaps orange juice instead?” He offered, and although the thought of going without her morning caffeine made her good spirits deflate a bit she knew that Lucifer was right, some vitamin C would do her good. Chloe nodded her agreement a moment later, smiling when her boyfriend squeezed her hand gently before pulling away and returning his attention to breakfast.

It only took a short moment for Lucifer to finish the last waffle and present Trixie with her plate, earning a squeal of delight from the child who dug into the food like a ravenous pack of wolves. Lucifer took his seat beside Chloe a moment later, his own helping of waffles and a tall glass of orange juice in hand. They all settled into a comfortable silence as they focused on their food, and Chloe managed to make it halfway through her glass of orange juice before her eyes settled on the neon green numbers on the microwave. She spluttered into her glass in shock, immediately earning a concerned glance from both her daughter and her boyfriend as they stopped eating to stare at her for a moment.

“It’s ten thirty! Monkey, you were supposed to be at school two hours ago,” Chloe explained, her words coming out in a jumbled rush as she quickly got out of her chair, silently cursing the fact that she was still in pajamas and would have to change before rushing her little one off to school. However, before she could even begin to make her way towards her bedroom to put on some suitable clothes Lucifer’s hand was resting on her upper arm in an almost reassuring manner.

“Darling, it’s alright. I called her in sick today,” Lucifer spoke up the moment her eyes settled on his face. The words made Chloe pause for a second before immediately shaking her head as she stared her partner down through narrowed eyes.

“Lucifer, I have work in a few hours. Maze is out on a job. Nobody is going to be around to watch her,” Chloe explained, her voice growing tense as she stepped out from under his touch. She knew that he meant well, but God, sometimes he really just made things worse. She only made it a few feet towards the staircase before she heard Lucifer let out a lofty sigh as the legs of his chair scraped against the ground, announcing that he’d abandoned his seat.

“Chloe,” Lucifer’s voice broke the quiet with ease, his tone blatantly authoritative. It was the use of her first name, and the way her boyfriend’s stern voice demanded to be acknowledged, that made her stop in her tracks. “I called you in sick as well.” He explained, his voice growing much gentler as she felt his hand rest lightly on her shoulder. Chloe immediately turned at the admission, her mouth opening to protest the decision, but before she could get a word out Lucifer was resting his index finger against her lips, effectively shushing her. “I know that you’re too strong to show it, but you’re in pain.” He stated, and even though part of her wanted to deny his words, Chloe knew that he was right. She felt much better, but she was still tired, and sore, and probably more dehydrated than she cared to admit. “You need some time to rest and your body needs to recover,” Lucifer added, and she felt the last of her resolve to conquer the day crumble. She had to admit, it would be nice to take a day to relax, especially after pushing herself so hard yesterday. “And what better way to accomplish that than to spend the whole day with your spawn and your friendly neighborhood Satan?” Chloe laughed at the question, but her laugh quickly turned into a cough and Lucifer pulled her into his chest as he rubbed tiny, soothing circles against the small of her back.

As soon as Chloe recovered from the unexpected onslaught she mumbled her thanks to her boyfriend, who placed a kiss against her forehead before releasing her. Breakfast continued without a hitch from there on, Trixie was excited to have the day off, and she kept pestering the adults with questions about what they were going to do. Chloe was thankful that Lucifer shot down all of her daughter’s more ambitious suggestions, and eventually, Trixie’s begging managed to reduce the former Lord of Hell to an agreement of a Disney movie binge.

It didn’t take long for the small family to migrate to the living room, and Trixie had already amassed a small mountain of titles that she wanted to watch by the time Lucifer had provided Chloe with a small nest of blankets and pillows on the couch that she happily settled into before curling into Lucifer’s side as he sat down beside her. Trixie popped Beauty and the Best into the DVD player before cuddling into Chloe’s free side. The Detective didn’t pay much attention to the movie, she was more focused on the feeling of Lucifer’s fingers trailing lazy patterns across her bare forearms, but eventually, she succumbed to the ever-growing weight dragging her eyelids down.

She came to for a brief moment when someone jostled her, earning a quick apology from her boyfriend that she barely heard over ‘Under the Sea’ that was currently blaring through the TV speakers, but sleep pulled her back under before she could even think to utter a response. She wasn’t sure what time it was when she came to again, but when she cracked open her eyes she immediately noticed Moana playing on the television, and the heartwarming image of her boyfriend sitting on the ground beside her daughter as the two worked on Trixie’s latest coloring book together. She managed to stay conscious long enough to watch a few scenes, and Chloe smiled when Lucifer sang along to Maui’s song. The last thing she heard before sleep reclaimed her were Lucifer’s modified lyrics, “What can I say except you’re welcome, for the sun, the stars, free will. There's no need to pray, it's okay, you're welcom—”.

The next time Chloe came to she found Lucifer laying down on the couch beside her, his arms wrapped around her waist as he drew in deep, slow breaths. And, much to her delight, she quickly realized that the surreal warmth engulfing her was coming from the fluffy white cocoon of wings that were currently covering her from the midsection down. She smiled giddily at the sight, a yawn escaping her before she slowly freed one of her arms, careful not to jostle Lucifer in his sleep before reaching down and stroking her index finger down the length of one of his primaries. She made sure to be gentle, and to stroke only in a downward motion, she still remembered the first time she’d touched his wings, and the important lesson she’d learned that day as though it had happened just hours ago and not months upon months.

_“Can I…can I touch them?” Chloe breathed quietly as she stepped forward, her hand reaching out towards the gorgeous, stunning white wings that were spread at Lucifer’s sides. How could he say that he was the Devil? He was the most angelic creature that she’d ever laid eyes on. She knew that she should probably be scared, she should have already fallen on her knees and begged God for forgiveness for any sins she’d ever committed, but the fear just didn’t exist; awe on the other hand, well, there was plenty of that to go around._

_“If you want to…” Lucifer replied, his voice tight and almost unsure as he shifted his weight in a way that made Chloe think that he was nervous or something. She didn’t think about Lucifer’s reaction for too long though, because a moment later her fingertips were gracing his feathers and she was drawing in a shuddering breath at the feeling. She wanted to compare them to silk, but she knew that wasn’t right; no, they were like some mix of satin and velvet that was so much softer than anything she’d ever felt in her life. She quickly noticed Lucifer’s shaky inhale just before his voice broke the silence once more, “Just be careful abo—”._

_He didn’t get to finish before Chloe was dragging her hand back up his feathers, sucking in a rough breath as she felt one of her fingers catch on one of his primaries, blood staining his feather and trickling over her finger almost immediately. “About that,” Lucifer finished as he reached out, taking her hand in both of his and immediately applying pressure to the pad of her finger in an attempt to stop the bleeding._

_“You cut me?” Chloe questioned, her voice taking on an indignant tone as she glared up at the supposedly ‘fallen’ angel._

_“I didn’t mean to,” Lucifer replied immediately, his voice apologetic as he began to lead her over to the bar. “They’re weapons, they’re sharp.” He explained as he gestured for her to take a seat at one of the barstools before settling down on the one beside her._

_“W-weapons?” She stammered slightly, confusion engulfing her for a moment as all of this new information about angels, and God, and an afterlife overwhelmed her temporarily. Lucifer hummed an affirmative as he grabbed a bottle of amber liquid and quickly poured a few drops over her cut, making her wince at the sting before he was putting pressure on the wound once again._

_“Angels aren’t fluffy, harmless little creatures frolicking about in the clouds, Detective,” Lucifer explained gently, his eyes meeting hers before he continued, “They’re highly trained, very dangerous soldiers.”._

_“Dangerous,” Chloe muttered under her breath as she quickly glanced at the marble floor beneath her. The word felt wrong when it was applied to Lucifer; he was her partner, her friend, and she hoped, someday in the future, maybe something more. But that had been before this sudden realization that he had wings, that he was apparently the Devil. She silently wondered if her and Lucifer could ever work now that she knew what he was. But had anything actually changed? He was still just Lucifer. Right?_

_Before she could wander too far down that train of thought she felt a finger wrap under her chin, tilting her head back up so she could look him in the eyes. “Not to you, darling,” Lucifer breathed, his voice gentle and his expression beseeching. “Never to you.” He added, and Chloe believed him, she did. She knew that Lucifer prided himself on his honesty, and she’d never seen him so earnest before. The Devil may be dangerous, but he wasn’t dangerous to her._

Chloe smiled at the memory as she lifted her hand and ran it over the strong band of muscles lining the top of his wing, making Lucifer nuzzle his face deeper into her hair as he made a muffled grumbling noise. She knew that he’d woken up when she felt him press a kiss against the top of her head before loosening his grip on her so he could pull back enough to look at her. “How are you feeling?” He rumbled, his voice still thick with sleep as he lifted his arm and ran his thumb across her cheekbone softly.

“Good,” Chloe answered honestly. She actually felt good as new, and she silently thanked Lucifer for taking the initiative to call her in sick today. She turned her head slightly to glance out of one of her windows, delighted to find that the sun was still up. Perhaps they could all do something with Trixie before returning to their regular schedules tomorrow, that was, after some ‘grown-up alone time’ with her boyfriend. “So…I’m feeling better…” Chloe trailed off suggestively, giving Lucifer a sultry smile as she pulled her hand from his wing and ran her fingers through his unruly dark hair.

Lucifer hummed softly at her words, placing a kiss against her forehead before pulling back slightly. “Do you want me to go make you waffles?” He questioned, his voice holding a teasing tone as his wings drew her body tighter against his own.

Chloe smiled at the question, biting her lower lip and shaking her head as she returned her hand to Lucifer’s wing. “I think I’m more in the mood for a little dessert.” She replied as she buried her fingers deep into the fluffy, harmless down feathers lining the underside of his wing before tugging on them lightly, earning a deep groan from the Devil as his wing spasmed slightly.

“You insatiable little minx,” Lucifer growled before tilting her chin up and kissing her softly. Chloe smiled at the familiar feeling of smooth lips and rough stubble; she dragged her hand through his fluffy down feathers one last time before Lucifer pulled her hand away, pinning it above her head as he quietly rumbled, “So, are we in the mood for chocolate or vanilla?”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone who's curious, my Tumblr account is [@casuallydeliciousphilosopher.](http://casuallydeliciousphilosopher.tumblr.com) I open up prompt fic requests whenever I hit a major follower milestone. :)


	7. You're in love with her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dialogue Prompt: "You're in love with her.". Originally requested by [@gucci--kisses](https://gucci--kisses.tumblr.com).

The ringing sound of a gunshot was the last thing Lucifer heard before everything went blindingly white for a brief moment. His eyes adjusted to the brightness a moment later; but instead of the tall, dark outcroppings of rock he’d been expecting, he was surrounded by open sky, a vast, illustrious, silver-tinged city stretched out before him that was practically radiating light. He quickly glanced around himself, turning in a circle as he tried to determine if this was actually happening; and that’s when he noticed the added weight on his back, the angelic robes clinging to his body. It was easier than he’d like to admit to forget about the shootout that the Detective was currently facing, the anger coursing through his veins driving every deliberate step he took towards the unchanged city before him. He made his way through the sterile and abandoned streets with ease, still remembering every turn and alley even after all of the eons that had passed.

It wasn’t long before he stood in front of the tallest building, the white spire jutting so far up into the sky that the tip was practically indiscernible. He stalked towards the wide double doors before him, the seraphs guarding the entrance shrinking away from his presence almost instinctively. Lucifer pressed his hands against the cool white metal before pushing both doors open with enough force to send them banging into the walls behind them, stepping inside of his father’s throne room as several sets of eyes settled on him. He ignored the glare that Michael was sending his way, and the look of blatant surprise on Gabriel’s face as he stalked towards the golden throne his father sat upon. “You bastard,” Lucifer growled as he closed the distance resting between himself and his father, each of his footsteps ringing through the silent room.

“Well, hello to you too, Samael,” God replied as he stood, his white robes shifting across his hazelnut skin and his metallic silver hair glinting in the light as he moved.

Lucifer grit his teeth at the use of his old name as he ascended the few stairs leading to the throne, coming to a stop in front of his father as he glared down at the shorter man. “Why am I here?” He questioned, his voice deceivingly calm as his fingers twitched at his sides. He didn’t know what his father had planned, but there was no way that any good could possibly come from it.

“You died,” God replied with a lighthearted chuckle, his glowing silver eyes twinkling with something that was almost mischievous.

“Why am I in heaven?” Lucifer growled as he took a menacing step towards his father, immediately causing Michael to reach for his sword until God held a single hand out towards the archangel, instantly making him pause.

“Because, son, I’m finally beginning to realize how entirely dense you are.” The deity answered before reaching out towards the fallen angel, only to have his hand batted away. God let out a hefty sigh before he spoke up once more, “We need to talk, and since you wouldn’t listen to me when we met in that mental hospital, this seemed most prudent.”.

Lucifer faltered at his father’s words, his mouth dropping open as his defenses fell for a brief moment. “That was really you?” He questioned quietly, his eyes following his father’s movements with piercing calculation as he tried to find any hint of falsity in the claim.

“Only part of me,” God answered nonchalantly, before immediately continuing, “I’d have killed the human if I took full control.”.

Lucifer swallowed at the words, his throat suddenly dry at the confession. “Did you mean it?” He questioned, his voice shaking slightly from the desperation as he recalled the exact words ‘God’ Johnson had said to him at the mental hospital not too long ago. “When you said that you were proud of the man I’d become.” Lucifer continued, his voice threatening to crack over the simple words as he tried his best to choke back the pathetic emotions that were simmering just under the surface. “That you were sorry, for _rejecting_ me when I _needed_ you the most.” He growled, his voice growing callous and accusatory as fire lit up his eyes and he took another step towards his father, the two of them practically standing chest to chest.

God swallowed thickly, the sound echoing throughout the room before he answered, “I meant it.”. Lucifer drew in a shuddering breath at his father’s words, something deep inside of him soothing at the admission. “Every word.” His father added, his voice holding a melancholy note of what almost sounded like remorse.

“Then why?” Lucifer questioned, his voice almost defeated sounding as he spoke.

A confused look quickly flitted across God’s face before his voice broke the quiet, “Why what?”.

“Why did you make Chloe and put her in my path?” Lucifer growled, all of his abandoned anger and resentment flooding back in an instant. “Why are you _still_ torturing me?” He snarled, his feathers bristling as his hands clenched into fists at his sides and his eyes flashed red once again.

God’s expression quickly changed, a look of understanding flooding across his face as he nodded softly. “Ah, yes. Chloe Jane Decker.” He murmured more to himself than anyone else. “You know, she’s mainly the reason you’re here talking to me at the moment.” He added as his eyes flicked up to meet his son’s fiery gaze. “We should probably check on her, shouldn’t we?” He questioned before snapping his fingers, the shimmering silver curtains behind his throne suddenly emblazoned with a view of earth. Lucifer swallowed thickly as the warehouse quickly filled the wall; a perfect image of Chloe hiding behind the same wooden crates he’d died by only a few moments ago, the sound of gunfire ringing through the room as though he was still alive and beside her.

_“Lucifer.” She choked out as she stared at his lifeless body, her hands flitting across his bloodstained neck as they clearly sought out a pulse. She searched for it almost frantically, her fingers pressing deep into the side of his neck as she sought out any sign of life. It was obvious when she finally realized that there was none, her hand pulling away slowly as her eyes began watering. “No.” She breathed as her eyes locked on the slick, dark red blood coating her fingers. “No, no, no.” She muttered, her voice cracking on the quiet words as she frantically tried to wipe the liquid off on her jeans, only serving to spread the mess further across her hand as tears began streaking down her face. Gunshots echoed through the room a moment later, making her flinch back into the boxes as the wood above her splintered._

“Turn it off,” Lucifer growled, immediately drawing the gaze of his father and his siblings away from the image as all three of them stared at him.

“I think this is something you need to see,” God replied a moment later as the image of Chloe returning fire filled the wall. “You know, as far as you come, you are still so self-absorbed.” He muttered just loud enough for everyone to hear as he shook his head, his expression the embodiment of a disappointed father. “You think that everything is about you,” God continued, his voice growing more commanding as it boomed over the sound of gunshots. “This woman has multiple purposes, and they don’t all revolve around you.” He growled, his voice shaking as he pointed to the image behind him. Lucifer almost found himself quivering at the raw power flowing off of his father; but he wasn’t young, naive Samael anymore, he would not bow so easily. He watched as his father composed himself a second later, soothing his hands over his robes before continuing. “Her biggest purpose was her child, ‘the spawn’, as I believe you call her.”. Lucifer’s mouth fell open slightly at the admission as he tried to figure out whether or not there was any falsity to his father’s words. “Beatrice Decker has a very important life ahead of herself,” God explained, a fond smile filling his face for a moment before it dulled, his piercing eyes meeting Lucifer’s as his mouth began to purse into a thin line.

“Even though Chloe was designed with you in mind, she was never designed for you specifically,” God explained, his voice tense as he slowly began to step around Lucifer. “Did you know that I keep a feather from every angel I’ve ever created?” He questioned curiously as he continued to step around his son, slowly walking a circle around the fallen angel. Lucifer felt his mouth turn down into a frown as he silently wondered why his father was sharing this information with him; what did he care if his father had one of his old feathers laying around somewhere collecting dust? “Well, they were feathers once upon a time,” God chuckled, and the mirth in his voice immediately set several red flags off in Lucifer’s head. The fallen angel quickly turned around to face his father, pulling his gaze from the image of backup officers finally arriving to help Chloe with the gunfight. The two celestials held each other’s gaze almost like a standoff before God’s voice broke the quiet, “They’re all souls now.”.

Lucifer’s eyebrows drew together at the new information as he tried to figure out what his father was hoping to achieve by divulging this information. God simply smiled at his son’s reaction before continuing to step around him, waiting for something to click in the fallen angel’s head. “As I’m sure you can imagine, such a soul would be immune to the angel it once came from.” He added, hoping that a nudge in the right direction would spur the connection he was waiting for. God smirked the moment he caught the way that Lucifer’s eyes flicked to the image of Chloe on the wall in front of him before immediately settling on him again. “It would share the same underlying traits; the intelligence, the instincts, the drive to make sure that guilty are punished and the innocent are protected,” God clarified, and Lucifer swallowed thickly at the words as his father came to a stop beside him, holding his hands behind his back as he stared at the image of Chloe on the wall as Dan rushed over to embrace her. “Yet, despite the similarities, they would still be different. Different enough to compliment each other; one could be patient while one could be quick to anger, one could be forgiving while the other could be grudging…” God trailed off as Dan pulled back from Chloe slightly, his hands running down her arms before he spoke.

_“Chlo, where’s Lucifer?” Dan’s eyebrows knitted together as he spoke, his eyes flicking across the warehouse as he looked for any sign of the man._

_“Lucifer,” Chloe murmured, her eyes growing distant and watery as she swallowed thickly before shaking her head, her hands clutching Dan’s jacket until her knuckles were white. “He…he saved my life,” She choked out, her voice breaking on the words as a few tears escaped her eyes. A sudden look of melancholy understanding came over Dan’s face before he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into him again._

“One could love others deeply while the other is too _frightened_ to accept their own emotions, let alone the emotions of another,” God’s cold voice cut over the sound of Daniel’s quiet reassurances as he rubbed Chloe’s back. Lucifer swallowed thickly as he pulled his gaze from the images before him, unable to watch the Detective fall apart over his death any longer. “But, as compatible as such a soul would be with the angel it came from, it would be dangerous. Capable of killing said angel, if the need arose for me to use that soul in such a way,” God added, and Lucifer narrowed his eyes slightly as he stiffened.

“My vulnerability,” Lucifer murmured quietly, watching as a soft smile graced his father’s face at his words. Suddenly everything made sense, the way he’d always felt drawn to her, the way she always seemed to shine brighter than anyone else, the way she’d been able to get him to lower his defenses so quickly.

“As Eve was created from Adam’s rib, Chloe’s soul was created from one of your feathers,” God stated, knowing that if he didn’t say it word for word his son would try to find a way to disqualify the merit of this conversation.

Lucifer stared at the ground as he tried to figure out what the point was. His father never did anything without reason, surely there was something bigger at play here, there had to be. Chloe was created to be able to hurt him, but she was also created to compliment him. He felt a hot surge of anger flow through him as he realized that Chloe had truly been nothing more than his father’s pawn, a tool to be used to either manipulate him or end his life. “So that’s it? She only ever had two options, kill me or care for me?” Lucifer growled as he took a menacing step towards his father.

“Samael,” God sighed, his annoyance practically palatable. “Nothing is black or white, everything is gray.” He stated matter-of-factly before quickly continuing, “I can’t control souls, I can simply choose what environment they draw life experiences from. I put Chloe in the hands of John and Penelope Decker in hopes that her father’s strong morals would rub off on her, that her mother’s carefree attitude might help her naturally purpose driven soul to loosen up a little.”. Lucifer tried to find the lie in his father’s words, but he knew that it was the truth. His father would be able to command the power that a feather held, he’d be able to shape it and form it as he pleased, but he wouldn’t have any real influence over it after he turned it into a human soul. “At least the morals rubbed off,” God chuckled quietly, seemingly finding some amusement in the statement as he pulled Lucifer out of his thoughts.

“I put her in an environment that I believed would make it more likely for the two of you to possibly be together, if that’s what both of you chose,” God explained, his voice growing soft as his sparkling gaze met his sons. “I could have put her in a lesser environment, one that might have made her more likely to kill others in cold blood.” He added with a shrug, and Lucifer felt annoyance bubble under his skin at the words.

“You mean to kill _me_ in cold blood,” Lucifer spat, earning no reaction from his father.

“But I didn’t,” God stated simply, quirking a single eyebrow as he spoke. “She has free will, she has a choice, just as you do.” He added simply before his expression darkened dangerously. “If you think back far enough I’m certain you’ll remember that even though Eve was created _from_ Adam and _for_ Adam she had the _ability_ and the _will_ to choose a different partner over him,” God’s voice grew scolding as Lucifer swallowed nervously at the display of emotion. Apparently, his father still hadn’t gotten over the tryst he’d had with Eve back in the day. “Chloe has that ability as well.” He added, his voice growing kinder as his eyes softened slightly. “She will move on son, you will lose her to another if you continue to neglect her.” Lucifer shifted at the words, trying to ignore the straining feeling those words sent spiraling through his core.

“She still loves you, for some inexplicable reason,” God murmured as he watched the image on the wall before him play out; the morticians loading Lucifer’s dead body onto a stretcher as Chloe tried to follow after them. The way she desperately tried to keep hold of her grasp on his pale hand before Dan pulled her away from the body. “And you know it, deep down in your heart, even though you _refuse_ to acknowledge it, that you’re in love with her as well.” He spoke as he turned to face his son, stepping in front of the fallen angel and drawing his gaze away from the wall. “It truly is a pity that you’re too dead to tell her that now,” God muttered, his voice grave.

Lucifer’s mouth fell open at his father’s words, his eyebrows drawing together as he desperately tried to think of the right words to persuade his father to send him back, even if it was only for a few sparse minutes. “The look on your face!” God snickered, a sudden grin quickly exterminating his serious expression as his deep booming laughter filled the room. Lucifer took a small step back as he tried to figure out whether or not his father had lost his mind, but God was resting his hands on the fallen angel's shoulders before he could put much distance between the two of them. “I’m going to do you a favor, Samael. In hopes that it might, in some small way, make up for the actions I took against you in the past.” His father spoke as his expression turned serious once more. “Don’t take this lightly, embrace your second chance for everything it’s worth,” God warned, pulling his son down slightly before pressing his lips against the fallen angel’s forehead.

One second Lucifer was standing in the throne room of heaven, and the next second he was falling all over again. The wind rustling his robes and his feathers as he quickly descended, it took him a second to get his bearing before realizing that the ground was approaching at a dangerously fast pace. He didn’t have the time to will his wings to carry him into the sky, so he settled for pulling one of them around himself just seconds before he hit the ground. This time he didn’t go crashing through the earth’s surface, he wound up skidding against the rough pavement before coming to a stop, groaning at the jarring stab of pain.

“What the fuck!” Daniel’s scared voice was the first sound that reached the fallen angel’s ears as he slowly pushed himself up with an arm.

“And just when I think our relationship might be on the mend you have to go and make me fall! Again!” Lucifer shouted at the sky as he stood, small bits of loose gravel falling from his robes as he mentally took stock of the fact that at least he hadn’t broken anything. He glanced over at the scrambling sound to his right, watching as Daniel pushed Chloe behind himself. His throat tightened at the sudden revelation that they were both now clearly in the know, but he tried not to panic at the thought of both of the humans standing before him rejecting him as he slowly turned to face them.

Lucifer’s hopes were effectively dashed when Daniel quickly reached down to his side, drawing his gun and pointing it at him. “Now, now, Daniel, let’s not get hasty,” Lucifer began as he lifted a single hand towards the officer in a motion of surrender. “I’m not sure how many times I can persuade dear old dad to resurrect me.” He chuckled, hoping to snap Dan out of his shock. He gave up on the notion of calming the officer a moment later, his hand falling down to his side as he tried to ignore the obvious look of fear laced across Dan’s face. Surely Chloe wasn’t faring any better, the thought made his stomach churn as he let out a sigh and accepted the inevitable end of both relationships. He scowled as he spread his wings, grateful for the fact that they weren’t broken, even if a few of his primaries had been scuffed up.

“Who are you? What did you do to Lucifer?” Dan shouted, his voice shaking.

Lucifer didn’t bother to look up at the question, unwilling to see the distrust and hatred that he was certain would be evident in Dan’s expression. “Seriously? Do you need to see an optometrist?” He questioned as he shook his wings out, more small bits of gravel cascading to the ground before he tucked them away, willing them into another plane of existence. “I am Lucifer.” He stated as he forced himself to look up, watching as Daniel slowly relaxed his arms his gun slowly drifting down to point at the ground as surprise and understanding washed across his face. Chloe stepped out from behind him a moment later, and Lucifer felt his heart miss a beat as his gaze settled on her wide eyes.

“You’re really… _the_ Lucifer,” Dan muttered quietly, but the fallen angel paid him no attention as he stepped forward, desperate to feel Chloe under his hands, to make sure that no harm had come to her during the shootout. “Stop,” Dan ordered, his gun suddenly rising once again, his aim focused solely on the devil.

Lucifer gritted his teeth as he slowly lifted both of his hands. “Would it calm you down a bit if I said all of that ‘be not afraid my child for I mean you no harm’ nonsense?” He asked coldly, quickly growing tired of having his life threatened so soon after it had just been restored. “I mean, if I wanted to hurt you I would have a long time ago.” He added grumpily before immediately continuing, “You are _very_ annoying.”. The look of anger that flashed across Dan’s face disappeared the moment that Chloe stepped around him, slowly closing the distance resting between herself and Lucifer as the devil’s hands slowly drifted back down to his sides. 

“Lucifer?” Chloe murmured, her voice easily cutting through the tense silence. “You’re really…” She trailed off as she stopped in front of him, her hands slowly reaching out before she touched his arms. “You’re really here.” Her voice grew stronger as her eyes flicked up to meet his as her hands continued to roam his body. Lucifer swallowed nervously at her reaction, waiting for the hammer to fall and for her to run away screaming. “You’re alive.” The words were choked, her eyes growing wet as she reached up and rested a hand against his cheek.

Lucifer fought the urge to cover her hand with his own as he spoke up, “Well, you know what they say.”. He watched as her eyebrows drew together just before he continued, “Can’t keep a good devil down.” He chuckled, immediately defaulting to humor in an attempt to escape the horrible anxiety churning his stomach.

“You’re really the devil,” Chloe stated quietly, and Lucifer swallowed nervously as he watched a myriad of complex emotions flicker across her face one after another.

“I’ve always been the devil. I’m still me,” Lucifer breathed, silently imploring her to believe him. What was the point of being alive again if she refused to allow him near? “Nothing’s changed.” He added, swallowing as Chloe’s expression quickly became unreadable. “Well, except for the wings, but, other than tha—” Lucifer was silenced before he could finish, Chloe’s arms suddenly wrapping around him as she buried her face in his chest.

“Thank God you’re okay.” Her muffled voice reached his ears and he couldn’t help but smile softly as he slowly wrapped his arms around her slight frame, burying his nose in her hair as he breathed her in. A sudden swell of hope flowing through his veins at the feeling of her in his arms.

“Yes, well, I suppose He does deserve a little gratitude for this,” Lucifer muttered quietly, drawing a snort from his detective that made a smile light up his face. He wasn’t sure how long the two of them stood there before she pulled away, the wet streaks trailing down her face sparking in the sunlight before he brought a hand up to wipe them away. He marveled at the way she didn’t flinch from his touch, and before he knew that he was doing his thumb had drifted lower, brushing lightly over her lower lip. He pulled away as soon as he realized what he was doing, clearing his throat as he let his hand fall back down to his side. “Your guardian angel has officially returned.” He quipped with a smile, drawing a peal of bright laughter from her as she grabbed his hand before dragging him over to the black patrol car. And with every step he took, Lucifer silently thanked his father and swore to himself that we certainly wasn’t going to let his second chance escape him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone who's curious, my Tumblr account is [@casuallydeliciousphilosopher](http://casuallydeliciousphilosopher.tumblr.com). I open up prompt fic requests whenever I hit a major follower milestone. :)


	8. You're trembling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dialogue Prompt: "You're trembling.". Originally requested by an anonymous asker.
> 
>  **Notice:** This one-shot is set in an AU universe that is based off of the Red Queen book series. For those of you who haven't read the books, let's have a quick "crash-course"; the books exist in an interesting world where the descendants of angels have silver blood and pretty awesome powers, and humans have red blood and no powers. But, over the years the Silvers decided that they were better than Reds and so you have a dystopian society. So, I kinda built off of the concept of that world and got this!

“Hurry up, if they catch us we’re done for,” Chloe hissed through clenched teeth as she pounded down the narrow hallway, her muscles and lungs burning in protest as the muffled shouts of the guards behind her reached her ears. 

“I’m well aware of what happens if we’re caught,” Lucifer bit back. Chloe wanted to roll her eyes at him, but her attention caught on a doorway with a brightly lit exit sign hanging above it. She knew that it could be a trap, that there could be a dozen armed guards already swarming the building's exits; but the shouts of ‘fire at will’ coming from behind her were more than enough to persuade her to take her chances. 

“In here.” She ordered gruffly as she yanked the door open before sprinting down the staircase before her. The sound of Lucifer’s footsteps pounded behind her as they descended flight after flight. So much for an easy intel mission, this had practically been a death trap. As soon as they reached the ground floor she flung the staircase door open and darted out into the open hallway. The walls practically blurred past as she followed the exit signs through the maze-like building. She could see the illuminated entrance standing before them when a guard came jogging out of an adjacent hallway, practically colliding with Chloe; it was muscle memory for her to swing her fist out, clipping the guard's jaw as she barreled into him, sending them both careening onto the hard stone floor. 

She felt the sting of ripped hands and knees as she scrambled back to her feet, hardly even hearing the click of a gun’s hammer being pulled behind her. What she did hear was Lucifer’s roar of her name just before his body collided into hers, sending her tumbling to the ground for the second time as the deafening crack of a gunshot echoed through the narrow hallway, and despite the ringing in her ears she could easily hear the hiss of pain that escaped Lucifer as she quickly scurried to feet once more. She managed to turn around in time to throw herself at the guard before he could pull the trigger a second time, his gun clattering against the floor loudly as she pinned him down. She only managed to land one more good punch before he overpowered her, flipping their positions with ease and trapping her with the weight of his bulky armor. 

She only struggled against the guard for a moment before a blur that turned out to be Lucifer’s foot caught the side of the man’s head and he slumped on top of her in an unceremonious heap, silver blood trickling out of the corner of his mouth. Before she even had time to fully process what had just happened, the guard's weight was being shoved off of her, and she jumped to her feet before grabbing Lucifer’s arm and practically dragging him towards the exit. She ignored his muffled curse as she shoved the door open, stepping out into the fresh air and immediately making a beeline for the cluster of trees towards the north side of the building. It was too dangerous to follow the road now that they’d blown their cover, the merchant caravan they’d rode in on would be like a target painted on their back, their only chance was to lose the guards in the maze of trees surrounding the military records office.

They managed the first one hundred feet or so without much of a problem, but it wasn’t long before Lucifer couldn’t keep up the pace. Chloe hadn’t even processed the fact that he might have been shot until she turned around to see what was wrong; her eyes lingering the red shirt that was plastered to his skin, a dark, wet patch spreading across the fabric where it stretched over his side. Part of her wanted to stop and attempt to patch him up as best she could, but the guards would be looking for them; they couldn’t risk stopping for even a second, not while they were still so close to the office. She settled for slowing down a bit, letting Lucifer catch up to her before she pressed herself against his side, wrapping an arm around his waist, and draping one of his arms over her shoulders as she tried to help carry some of his weight; earning herself a salacious grin that she couldn’t bring herself to scold him for. He had taken a bullet for her after all. 

The next few hundred feet passed without much of a problem, they were still moving fast enough to avoid the guards that were undoubtedly scouring the forest for them. But after about half a mile she could tell that it was becoming more and more difficult for Lucifer to keep up with the pace she’d set; he was breathing harder than he normally would, he was dangerously pale, and Chloe could feel her shirt sticking to her skin where his blood had soaked into the fabric. She quickly decided that there was no point in running if her partner was just going to die of blood loss anyway, she could at least bandage him up before they continued on to the nearest village to find a doctor. 

“Here, we’re stopping,” Chloe ordered as she led Lucifer over to the trunk of a tall tree.

“We’re still too close.” He protested even as he slowed to a stop beside her, pulling his arm from her shoulders before leaning against the tree behind him, his breath coming in labored pants as he stared down at her.

“It doesn’t matter how far away we get if you die of blood loss,” Chloe growled as she pushed him down, getting him to sit on the ground with much more ease than she expected. He had to be doing much worse than he appeared if he was complying so easily. 

“I’m fine,” Lucifer muttered as he let his head fall back against the tree trunk behind him, staring up at the green canopy above as he pressed a hand against his side. 

“You’re bleeding everywhere,” Chloe murmured mostly to herself as she bent down, resting on her knees before Lucifer as she noticed the way that the whole right side of his shirt was plastered to his skin. She drew in a deep breath as she reached out, taking the hem of his shirt in between her thumb and fingers before lifting it up. 

“Chloe, don’t,” Lucifer’s suddenly concerned voice broke the silence just a few seconds too late, his entire body tensing as Chloe stared mutely at the deep gash cutting through his side. The wound wasn’t particularly bad, just an unlucky graze really; but what had Chloe stunned was the metallic gleam of silver blood that slowly wept from the gash, the sunlight making it glimmer as it slowly trickled down his pale skin. Without even thinking about what she was doing she was reaching out, dragging her fingers through the thick, sticky fluid before lifting her hand to her face, almost as though she had to make sure that the blood was real, that it wasn’t some trick of the light. Her breath caught in her throat as she stared at the unnatural color coating her fingers, her mind drawing a blank as tense silence brewed between the two of them. “Are you alright?” Lucifer’s soft voice reached her ears, and although she could hear him with ease she couldn’t find the words to reply, which was probably for the best, considering that she couldn’t force her mouth to form words even if she wanted to. “You’re trembling.” He murmured quietly as he slowly reached down, his fingertips brushing against the back of her hand.

Chloe jumped at the simple contact, his touch effectively pulling her out of the daze she’d been caught in. She quickly looked up, finding his dark eyes staring at her, concern etched into his features as he pulled his hand back slowly, almost as though she was a spooked animal and he was worried that if he moved too quickly he’d scare her off. “You’re…” She trailed off weakly, part of her worried that once she said the words it would suddenly be truly legitimate, that there would be no going back to the way things were just this morning. 

Lucifer took that last paper-thin layer of denial away from her with ease, his voice breaking the silence as one little, irreversible word was uttered between the two of them; “Silver.”. He drew in a deep breath as soon as the word left his lips, his eyes drifting down to the shallow cuts etched into her palms, and the crimson that had stained the lines of her hands. “And you’re Red.” He stated simply, and Chloe swallowed thickly as she let go of the hem of his shirt, letting it drift back down to hide the color that divided her world in two. 

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Chloe asked, her voice trembling as she clenched her hands into fists, focusing on the pricking sensation of her fingernails digging into her skin in an attempt to ground herself. 

“Would you have worked with me if I told you?” Lucifer questioned, his eyes boring into hers as silence brewed between the two of them. Chloe tried to tell herself that she would have still asked him to be her partner, but deep down she knew that if she’d known he was a Silver from the get-go she wouldn’t have entertained the idea for even half a second; and on top of that, she would have turned him in to the Scarlet Guard, she would have let them try to get a ransom out of him, or attempt to torture whatever little information they might get out of him. “I didn’t think so,” Lucifer muttered his assumption quietly as he managed to find his way to his feet, and Chloe wanted to tell him that he was wrong; but she knew that it would be a lie, she knew that he would be able to see right through her. 

Chloe stood up on shaky legs as she watched Lucifer run a hand through his unruly curls, an angry huff of breath escaping him as he looked anywhere but at her. She stared at him for a long moment as she tried to figure out what he was doing here; what would a Silver want from Red territory? Everyone knew that Red cities paled in comparison to Silver ones; the food was worse, the conditions were worse, and Silver’s weren’t exactly given a warm welcome, especially now that tensions ran higher than ever on both sides. “Why are you here?” Chloe asked, her voice holding a tremor that she hated herself for. This was Lucifer, and she thought she knew him, but he was a Silver, and everyone knew that Silver’s were dangerous. “Are you a spy?” The thought came to her suddenly, it was the only thing that made sense. Why else would he pretend to be a Red? Why else would he willingly work with her and the Reds that she worked for? Why else would he be helping the rebellion that wanted to overthrow the power his own people held over the land? 

“What?” Shock was evident in Lucifer’s voice as he stared at her with wide eyes, and even though she could tell that his baffled reaction was genuine, her guard stayed on high-alert. “No.” The answer was simple, clipped, tense. Chloe could tell that there was something else, something that he wasn’t telling her. 

“Then what are you do—” 

“I was exiled!” The echo of Lucifer’s shouted words rang against the trees for a few seconds before it tapered off, and Chloe would have scolded him for the unnecessary noise if she wasn’t so stunned by the confession. She’d never heard of a Silver being exiled before, they were usually just locked up for whatever crimes they committed; occasionally, if some truly horrendous act had been committed there would be an execution. But exile, she didn’t even know that was a tradition Silver’s followed. “I…” Lucifer trailed off, his throat bobbing as he swallowed thickly. “My people don’t want me anymore.” The words were soft-spoken, and Chloe could tell by the way they were uttered that it must have hurt to admit. 

Part of her wanted to comfort him, to tell him that it was alright, that she was here for him even though his own people weren’t; but the other half, the angry half, the hurt half, it only wanted to rip the Silver standing in front of her to shreds. “So what, you think that just because the Silver’s don’t want you that my people will welcome you in with open arms?” She watched as Lucifer flinched slightly from the words, or perhaps it was the bitterness that was so blatantly laced in her voice; but damn it all if she wasn’t entitled to a little bitterness after all of the years that she spent living in the Silvers shadows, in _his_ shadow. “There’s a rebellion, Lucifer,” Chloe growled as she stepped towards him, anger building inside of her at the thought of what he could do the Scarlet Guard after working with them for so long. She’d been so naive when she asked him to be her partner, she should have known better, she should have been more careful; but it was too late now, and the whole future of the rebellion relied on a Silver choosing her people over his. “We’re at war. With other nations and with each other.” She couldn’t hide the tremble in her voice even if she tried, the blood in her veins running cold at the thought of how easily the Silver’s could crush the rebellion if Lucifer just told them what he knew. And why wouldn’t he? Surely such valuable information would be enough to regain the favor of his people. 

Chloe shook her head as she let out a huff of breath that quickly morphed into an almost maniacal laugh. “God, it all makes sense now!” Chloe exclaimed, her voice ringing against the trees as she took another menacing step towards the Silver standing before her. “I finally get why you’re always such an insufferable prick!” She growled as she jabbed his chest with a finger, knowing that if she took her anger out much more there was a good chance that things would go south very quickly; and regardless of how much she wanted to hurt a Silver for the things they did to her people, she knew that she’d never stand a chance going up against one on her own, even five Reds had a hard time standing their ground against a single Silver. “You don’t get to grow up in a palace with anything you could ever want just handed to you; while I went to bed hungry _every_ night as a kid, while my dad was sent off to fight _your_ war, while people around me, people I cared about, _died_ from things that could have been prevented if Silver’s would have just shared more food, more medicine, more electricity; and then barge into our territory and expect to be greeted with open arms!” She snarled, her anger growing with each word that was flung from her lips. “Your people are monsters, _you’re_ a monster,” Chloe ground out between gritted teeth as she glared up at the Silver who stood mere inches away from her.

She could tell that she may have taken one step too many over some proverbial line drawn in the sand between them when Lucifer’s eyes narrowed, a tick forming in his jaw as he ground his teeth together. “The weight of the sins of my people is not mine alone to bear.” He growled, his voice darker than normal; but it wasn’t the shift in his usually bright and cheerful demeanor that set Chloe on edge, but the deceivingly calm tone that each word held.

“But they are still your sins because you stood by and watched it happen,” Chloe’s voice cracked slightly as the words managed to find their way past her lips, “Doing nothing is just as bad as doing it yourself.” She finished, her muscles drawing tense as she attempted to prepare herself for some inevitable lapse of self-control from the man standing in front of her. But instead of lashing out like she’d been expecting he surprised her, a soft huff of something that wasn’t quite laughter escaping him despite the scowl on his face.

“Do you have any idea why I was exiled?” Lucifer questioned, his voice holding an almost ironic twinge as he shook his head stepped away from her. “It was because I finally stood up for something. Because my father couldn’t have one of his sons questioning his authority in front of his subjects.” He spat, loathing obvious in each word.“I wasn’t as free as you seem to think I was.” He added, but Chloe barely even heard the last few words, her mind still stuttering at the implications of his last statement.

“Your father…subjects…” She murmured quietly, the pieces slowly clicking into place one by one. “Your dad is the King?” Chloe questioned, her voice wavering as she spoke. She watched Lucifer’s scowl lighten slightly, his features softening for a moment, almost like he could tell that her sanity was being pressed to its breaking point. 

“No.” The simple word flooded her with relief for the briefest of moments before Lucifer’s voice was breaking the silence once more, “He’s worse.”.

Chloe froze at his simple statement, she knew that there was only one thing worse than a King, and that was a God. “No. That’s not possible. That would mean that you’re—” She choked on the next few words before they could escape, everything inside of her screaming that it couldn’t be true, that this had to be some kind of sick, twisted joke. “You’re one of the First.” The words were barely a whisper by the time they managed to crawl their way out of her throat. Everyone knew about the First, they were practically creatures of legend, the first Silvers that were ever created, older than even time itself; immortal, invulnerable, powerful beyond imagination, creatures that held the world together at the seams. Each one the ancestor of one of the great Silver nations that spanned the globe. But Lucifer, there was no way he could be one of them, he was too...human. 

“One of seven,” He replied, and Chloe swallowed thickly at his confirmation.

“Which one are you?” She asked, her voice thankfully managing to sound much stronger than she felt at the moment. She knew that he couldn’t be Gabriel or Azrael, both creation and destruction were women. But the other five were all men; it’d been years since her last school lessons, but she doubted that she’d ever forget the names and strengths of each of the seven First; absence was Amenadiel, air and earth were Uriel and Raphael, and fire and water were Samael and Michael. Before she could even begin to guess where Lucifer fit in on the list he was lifting one of his arms, his hand hovering in the air as he slowly uncurled his fingers to reveal the blue-orange tongues of flame lapping harmlessly at his skin. 

Chloe drew in a strangled breath as she stared at the fire sitting harmlessly in his hand, and even though she knew that there wasn’t one, she couldn’t help but quickly double check to make sure that he wasn’t wearing a flint striker on his wrist; but he wasn’t just a normal Silver burner, he didn’t simply manipulate fire that already existed, Lucifer was in and of himself fire itself, he didn’t need to bother with such devices. The flickering flames only lapped languidly at his skin for a few more seconds before he curled his hand back into a fist, a wisp of greyish white smoke curling slowly through the air up towards the sky as he extinguished the flames effortlessly. Chloe continued to stare mutely at the empty space that Lucifer, no, Samael’s fire, had occupied only moments prior as she tried to think of something, of anything, to say.

“Chloe.” It wasn’t the sound of her name, but rather the touch of Samael’s fingers brushing against her bare arm that managed to spur her back into some form of functionality, and she flinched back from the gentle touch as though she’d just been branded by a hot iron; every primal instinct inside of her screaming danger. The way Samael’s almost hopeful expression shuttered into a mask of cold indifference in a mere second made her regret acting out of instinct. “I should go.” He muttered quietly as his eyes drifted down to the ground, turning away before she could even think of anything to say to apologize. 

Part of her was relieved at his decision to take his leave; the rational side of her brain screamed that she would be safer with him gone, that the rebellion would be safer without a Silver hidden in its Red heart, that any Silver, let alone one of the First, was too risky to have hanging around. But the other part of her deflated as he took those first few steps without her, he’d been her partner for months now and he’d never done anything to endanger the Scarlet Guard or anyone else he’d ran into, if anything he’d only ever used his abilities to help; like that one time a few months ago when it was pouring down rain and she gave up on starting the campfire only to watch in amazement as he managed to get the sopping wet wood to light, of course now she knew that it wasn’t his luck or skill with the flint that kept them warm that night, but rather the fact that if he wanted something to burn it simply could not defy him. 

She wasn’t sure what she thought she was doing when she quickly stepped forward, reaching out and grabbing his forearm in an attempt to get him to stop, but somehow it worked, and her partner stilled where he stood even though he didn’t look back at her. “Samael.” The name felt foreign on her tongue, wrong; but she used it regardless. “Thank you for saving my life.” She stated as she pulled her hand away, waiting tensely as several long seconds of silence dragged on for what felt like an eternity.

“ _Don’t_ call me that.” His words were more of a demand than a request, but before Chloe even had the time to even begin to feel hurt over his snappy tone he was turning around to face her. “And I don’t want your thanks,” Lucifer added, his voice no kinder than it was when he first began, “Besides, it’s not like it was the first time.”.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Chloe questioned defensively as she stepped towards him. What had Lucifer done for her before today? He was a Silver, it’s not like he even knew she existed before she saved his ass from that damn bar fight all those months ago. 

“I’m one of the First, and yet here I am, _bleeding_ ,” Lucifer explained as he lifted the corner of his shirt and pointed at the smear of silver blood staining his skin before letting the fabric fall back into place. “And that didn’t strike you as odd?” 

“You’re supposed to be invulnerable,” Chloe breathed as she stared at him with wide eyes. Did his father somehow take that away from him when he was exiled? Or was it something worse?

“I am invulnerable,” Lucifer replied simply, and Chloe’s eyebrows drew together in confusion as she tried to figure out how someone who was truly invulnerable could bleed, but she didn’t have more than a few seconds to follow that train of thought before Lucifer was speaking once more, “When you’re not around.”. Chloe shook her head softly at his words, there was no way they could be true. Why would she be able to make him vulnerable? She was a Red nobody, and he was a Silver legend; there was no way he could be telling her the truth. Besides, if she did truly make him vulnerable why would he hang around? Why would he risk his life for a rebellion that was at war with his own people? “You’re…” Lucifer trailed off with a hefty sigh, a brief flash of hesitancy flitting across his features before he continued, “You’re something called a newblood, Chloe.”.

“A newblood.” She stated blandly, the words falling flat in the air around them. What the fuck was a newblood? And why was this the first time she’d ever heard about it? And now she was suddenly being told that she was a member of this weird...well, whatever it was, it’s not like she knew. 

“A Red with the powers of a Silver…” Lucifer explained a half-second later, and Chloe’s mouth fell open slightly at the mere thought that anything like that was even possible, “But stronger.” He added quietly, and Chloe only shook her head softly. Even if there was some new breed of Red’s popping up randomly, why would she be one? She was just another Red girl from an unremarkable farming village, it’s not like she was special. “And when my father found out about the growing newblood population he wanted you all dead,” Lucifer continued, clearly not recognizing the denial warring inside of her. Was she really supposed to just think that she was remarkable just because he told her she was? Where was her proof? Her eyes drifted back down the stain of blood on Lucifer’s red shirt at the thought; she knew for a fact that he was indeed one of the First, and he was vulnerable enough for a bullet to hurt him. But was she truly the cause of that vulnerability? “But he never got the chance to find you all because the blood bank burnt down,” Lucifer finished quietly, his eyes drifting down the ground beneath his feet as Chloe drew in a ragged breath.

“You destroyed the blood bank,” Chloe breathed softly. She still remembered seeing footage of the building that housed blood samples from every Red ever born engulfed in raging flames that practically licked at the sky.

“I did what had to be done,” Lucifer replied sternly, his dark eyes meeting hers as she put two and two together; Lucifer had been exiled because he saved Red lives, and he certainly would have been executed for the act of treason if he was a normal Silver. “I couldn’t let him commit genocide, he’d have killed thousands of people; women, children, infants.” He added, his words dripping with disgust as he shook his head and let out a frustrated huff of breath.

Chloe swallowed thickly at the confession; Lucifer, a Silver, risked everything to save Red lives. How could she end their partnership after finding out that he’d only been trying to help her people from the beginning? Of course she still had questions, like why did he suddenly decide that now was the time to stand up for Reds? Or when exactly did he realize that she was different, that she made him vulnerable? But those could wait until a later time, after all, it wasn’t like her partner was going anywhere anytime soon as long as she had a say in it. “Let me fix you up,” Chloe requested as she reached out, taking hold of Lucifer’s wrist and giving him a light tug.

She had to admit that she was a little surprised when he complied, following after her and willingly sitting down when she gestured for him to do so. For the second time that day she found herself kneeling down in front of Lucifer as she lifted the hem of his shirt, for a second she considered cauterizing the bullet wound, but the bleeding had slowed substantially and Lucifer didn’t seem to be doing too much worse for wear. She quickly decided that bandaging it up until they reached a village would work, but then she was suddenly struck with the thought that Lucifer would have to see a doctor, a Red doctor. She pursed her lips into a thin line as she tried to think of any way to get around broadcasting the color of Lucifer’s blood to the nation. She supposed she could stitch him up, granted it’d been a few years since she’d last had to take a needle and thread to someone; but it would be better than nothing, and it would mean that Lucifer’s secret would be safe. “Take this off,” Chloe ordered as she dropped the hem of Lucifer’s shirt, watching as a grin lit up his face and one of his eyebrows quirked up.

“Well, if you wanted me to strip you didn’t have to wait until now to ask,” Lucifer chuckled playfully and Chloe let out a rough sigh as she rolled her eyes at him. Of course Lucifer still had it in him to make sex jokes even after losing nearly a pint of blood. Her thoughts were cut short when Lucifer pulled the red shirt off before dropping it on the ground next to him, her eyes roaming over his lean chest unabashedly. “Enjoying the view?” His question immediately drew Chloe’s eyes back up to his own, and she tried to ignore the flush of heat she could feel staining her cheeks as she quickly looked away. If he was still just Lucifer the Red, a man who was just as fed up as everyone else with Silver control then she might have considered his advances, it wasn’t like she hadn’t mulled over the thought once or twice back before she knew the truth; but now, now she couldn’t even entertain the thought for a moment, he was a Silver, an ancient Silver, there was no way they could make anything like that work between them. Besides, there were more important things to worry about, like the rebellion. 

Chloe quickly focused on the task of patching him up as best she could, grabbing her pocket knife from her boot before cutting off the lower hem of Lucifer’s shirt, ignoring his protests the whole time. It wasn’t long before she managed to fashion a simple bandage out of the fabric, that was the simple part; the difficult part was actually getting it on. The strip she’d cut from Lucifer’s shirt wasn’t long enough to fashion a proper torso bandage, just enough to cover the wound and wrap around his waist. And it didn’t help matters when Lucifer decided to butt in as she was trying to figure out the best way to secure it in place, “Are you certain you know what you’re doing?”. 

Chloe shot him a quick glare before quickly retorting, “Yes, Lucifer, I know what I’m doing.”.

“Well, you aren’t exactly doing a great job.” Chloe grit her teeth at the nonchalant insult, and if it wasn’t for the fact that the reason she was patching him up was that he took a bullet that was originally meant for her, she probably would have snapped at him that he should do it himself if he was such an expert. Instead, she grit her teeth as she started wrapping the red strip of cloth around his waist. “Perhaps you’re a bit distracted, hmm?” Lucifer suggested as he made a point of exaggeratedly glancing down at his bare chest before quickly looking up at her with a smirk firmly plastered in place. 

“Seriously?” Chloe huffed with no small amount of exasperation, but she had to admit that she was silently grateful for the fact that things between them seemed to be relatively unchanged despite what had just happened. “Even if I did want to have sex with you,” She began, and Lucifer’s face lit up at the words, “Which I don’t,” she continued quickly, watching as his pleased expression quickly turned more playful at her words, “Now would certainly not be the time.” she finished decidedly as she quickly pulled the makeshift bandage tight; admittedly taking a little bit of pleasure from watching Lucifer wince slightly as she quickly tied the bandage off.

A short lapse of silence engulfed the two of them as Chloe briefly examined her handiwork to make sure that it would hold up well enough, letting out a pleased hum as she rocked back to sit on her haunches. “So, I make you vulnerable,” Chloe stated, changing the previous topic as she grabbed Lucifer’s now slightly tattered shirt before holding it out for him to take. “Would I make the others like you vulnerable too?” She questioned curiously as he reached out and took it from her, looking at her with a raised eyebrow as he turned the shirt right-side-out. 

“I would assume so.” He answered blandly before quickly slipping the shirt over his head and pushing his arms through the sleeves. “Why?” His tone bordered on suspicious as he eyed her almost warily. 

“Because if that’s the case then I could help the cause,” Chloe explained hopefully, a smile spreading across her face at the realization that she might be the tipping point the rebellion needed to start making real progress. 

“You are not going to throw yourself in harm's way just because your powers are the equivalent of a God-killing weapon,” Lucifer growled authoritatively as he shot her a dirty look and clambered to his feet. 

“Like you could stop me,” Chloe bit back harshly as she stood up, crossing her arms over her chest as she glared up at the tall man. 

Lucifer let out a long-suffering sigh as he rolled his eyes, shaking his head as he spoke up, “Chloe, it wouldn’t do you any good.”.

“This isn’t about me, Lucifer! This is—”

“If you kill my father this all ends!” Lucifer cut her off before she could finish, letting out a harsh huff of breath before carefully standing up.

“What?” Chloe questioned, a hint of confusion tainting her voice as she stood.

“There are only seven of the First, all with very specific strengths,” Lucifer explained, his voice only growing more strained with each word. 

“So?”

“Every being has an opposite, except for absence. Do you know why that is?” Lucifer questioned rhetorically, not waiting for an answer before he immediately continued, “Because existence is my father. If he dies so does existence itself. Kill him—”

“And you destroy everything,” Chloe breathed quietly, the realization hitting her like an armored convoy vehicle. 

“Precisely,” Lucifer muttered as he started walking away, leaving Chloe to follow after him as they continued away from the records office. 

“So we can never win this war,” Chloe muttered to herself as she quickly caught up with Lucifer’s long strides.

“That’s not what I said,” Lucifer spoke, his tone gentle. “If you do intend to win, you’ll need the backing of the Silvers.”

“We can never get that though,” Chloe replied, her voice bordering on desperate as she realized that everything she’d done for the rebellion, everything she’d sacrificed, had been in vain. 

“You can...it would be tricky though,” Lucifer corrected as he slowed to a stop, “You’d have to _force_ my father to relinquish his position, which means each of the seven Kings would have to want to revolt.”.

“Has any nation ever revolted?” Chloe questioned curiously, if that was the case then they certainly hadn’t written about it in any of the history textbooks she’d learned out of back in her childhood. 

“No, because my siblings keep their houses in check,” Lucifer answered, seeming to mull over his words for a long moment before he added, “My house, is currently without advisorship. I’m sure someone will step in and fill my position soon though.” Despite everything that Chloe had just learned about her partner the words still caught her off guard, but she wasn’t sure why, she knew about each of the seven kingdoms; Norta was a land in the east ruled by House Calore, Burners, Lucifer’s descendants. “Not every King is happy with the direction they’re being told to lead their country in,” Lucifer added seriously, his brows drawing together as he seemed to mull over something for a moment.

“The Kings don’t get to decide what to do with their own nation?” Chloe asked, surprised at the newly revealed information that apparently Kings were mostly for show, that they didn’t hold as much power as she originally anticipated they did. 

“Just another pawn in a larger game of chess, I’m afraid,” Lucifer replied soberly, drawing a deep breath before he spoke once more, “If we can ‘persuade’ my siblings to relinquish their grip on their Kings then we might have a chance.” He explained, his hands making air quotes as he spoke and Chloe immediately picked up on the hidden meaning. His siblings would never be persuaded to abandon their Houses, they would have to be forced. “The hard part would be keeping them locked up somewhere _and_ alive,” Lucifer sighed, running a hand across his thick stubble as he glared at the dirt beneath his feet. 

“Because if they die then their power dies with them…” Chloe trailed off quietly as she tried to figure out how in the world someone would go about capturing one of the First; after all, she only made Lucifer mortal, she didn’t make him powerless. 

“And then balance would be disrupted,” Lucifer finished for her, his voice grim as his dark eyes met hers. “If we were to go that direction it would be possible, the odd’s certainly wouldn't be in our favor, but there’s a slim chance it could be accomplished.”

“But if we worked together, with your fire and my...well, thing, then that would make it easier, wouldn’t it?” Chloe questioned hopefully. There had to be some sort of advantage in tackling this thing as a team, right?

“Probably,” Lucifer shrugged as he spoke, and Chloe quickly realized that he wasn’t certain of any of this either, he was just as lost as she was. The thought made her pale slightly; if Lucifer, an immortal being who had existed for longer than she could fathom, was out of his element here, how could she be of any help? How could she assume that she knew how to handle this situation any better than he did? She shook the thought away quickly, just because Lucifer wasn’t certain didn’t mean that it wasn’t possible, or that it was a doomed plan, it just meant that she was willing to take a stand when nobody else in the course of history had been willing to.

“Come on, we have to get back to headquarters,” Chloe reached out and grabbed Lucifer’s arm as she started forward, making her way west towards the rendezvous point that had been set before their failed intel mission even started. So what if she hadn’t gotten the military records of a few Silver soldiers? She’d learned more from Lucifer than those flimsy pieces of paper would have ever divulged to her people. “I think we have some new intel that General Mazikeen will be pleased to hear.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...was this something that anyone liked? Because I might be very amenable to turning this into a full-fledged, action-packed, crossover fic in the future if there’s any interest. Anyways, let me know if that’s something you might want and I will deliver!


	9. Leaf really wants to see Lucifer in a tie 2k18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My good friend [The Leaf Pile](https://archiveofourown.org/users/theleafpile/pseuds/theleafpile) made a post about how desperately she needs to see Lucifer in a tie in season 4, so I wrote this for her in an attempt to soothe her raging tie-boner. 
> 
> (Not a Dialogue Prompt)

The moment he laid eyes on the outfit Detective douche had selected for him he hated it. The color was fine, the fabric was serviceable, bloody hell, even the boutonniere could be overlooked; but the grey and purple striped tie…that was absolutely where he drew the line. 

He’d tried wearing a tie before, once or twice, but he’d never managed to keep one on for more than a few minutes. They always felt like collars, and he hated the thought of ever having a master, like some damned pet dog. 

Bowties were alright, he figured because they lacked a tail that felt far too much like a leash, just waiting to be jerked around by someone unworthy of his servitude…someone like his father.

The thought made him shiver as he picked the strip of fabric up in his hands, turning it around for a moment before he stepped back. He made his way to the bathroom with determined ease, knocking on the closed door and awaiting his fiancee’s muffled response of, “Come in.”

He faltered for a moment as he swung the door open, his eyes lingering on the royal purple dress that clung to her soft curves in _all_ the right places. She’d really outdone herself this time. Her golden hair, like sunlight trapped in silk, was done up perfectly; and her makeup, of which she was just adding the finishing touches, only served to highlight the flawless aqua blue of her eyes. 

But by Dad, it was her smile, pure and radiant and brighter than the sun, that made him falter for air for a moment. It was a smile that he would freeze Hell for. 

“What is it, babe?” she asked as she turned to face him, and he swallowed thickly as he attempted to restart his mental faculties in a timely manner. 

“I don’t wear ties.” The statement drew a quizzical expression from the Detective, but she thankfully didn’t press for any further explanation.

“I’m sure you can make an exception this time,” she replied, offering a shrug as she carefully put in a set of glittering purple and white earrings.

Lucifer shook his head at her words, his shoulders falling slightly as he let out a long breath. “I can’t.” The two, little words were muttered as though they were some admittance of defeat. 

Chloe’s eyebrows drew together as she stepped closer to him, a soft shell of a smile tilting up the corner of her mouth as she rested a gentle hand on his arm. “Lucifer, you’re Dan’s best man. You need to match everyone else.” she explained, and when he opened his mouth to protest she quickly added, “He’s your friend isn’t he?”

“Well, of course, bu-”

“And you don’t want to make this day any more stressful for him than it already is, right?” Of course, Chloe was always so empathetic, he wasn’t surprised that she would worry about how Dan would be doing. The world didn’t deserve this woman, bloody hell, _he_ didn’t deserve this woman. Yet here she was. 

“Right,” Lucifer sighed, running his thumb over the colored fabric. He wasn’t sure why he gave the simple strip of woven fibers so much hold over his being, but Chloe was right, he needed to aspire to be more like her. So he would wear the damn thing, even if every molecule of his being hated every second of it. 

“It’s only for a few hours,” Chloe explained gently, her hand slowly dragging down the length of his arm as she continued, “You can do it.” When Lucifer remained silent for longer than she expected she chuckled, “Or is the big bad Devil scared of a little tie?” 

His face scrunched up at the playful accusation, entirely loathe to admit that she wasn’t too far from the truth. “Must you wound my pride like this?” The sarcastic exasperation in his voice made her tilt her head back as she laughed, the sound making something warm and tight coil deep in his belly. 

“If that’s what it takes to get you to wear the damn thing, then yes, I’m afraid I must.”

**\---***---**

It had been five hours and counting, and he was still stuck in the damn tie. It felt like it tightened around his neck every other minute, suffocating, like his father had once been. Thankfully, the wedding reception was finally drawing to a close; not that he wasn’t glad for the newly-wed Dan and Charlotte Espinoza, it was just hard to enjoy an event when one was uncomfortable throughout the entire duration of it.

Chloe found him as a slow song struck up, a smile gracing her heavenly features as she grabbed him by the hand and tugged him towards the dance floor. She came to a stop in the center of the mostly empty space, and his hands found the soft curve of her hip and the gentle dip of her side like they were made to slot perfectly against them. 

“How are you holding up?” she asked softly, her hands finding his shoulder and the back of his arm as she leaned in closer to him, the soft smell of her perfume lingering in the air, mixing with his cologne. 

He could tell she genuinely wanted to know, and it was kind of her to care about his mild discomfort, yet another one of her personality traits that he would never truly be worthy of. “Well enough,” he answered simply, watching as Daniel pulled Beatrice out on to the dance floor, his daughter’s smile radiant in the soft lights. 

“And you?” he asked a moment later, his eyes flicking back down to her graceful features, and the slightly confused look that pulled at them. “I’m sure it can’t be easy watching the man you were once married to marry someone else. Divorced or not.” Chloe smiled softly at the words, an almost mournful smile, but at the same time still somehow caring. 

“I’m happy for him,” she answered quietly, drawing in a breath as she glanced over at Charlotte, clad in a snow white gown, “For both of them.” He could tell that each word was genuine, she may never stop caring for the man, she may always love him in some sense of the word; but she’d made her peace and moved on, they both had.

“Besides, I kinda have this new thing going on with this one guy,” Chloe explained, her words suddenly dripping with that sultry, playful tone that never left Lucifer unsatisfied. “Turns out, tall, dark and devilish is totally my type.” Her hands squeezed a little tighter as she spoke, and a soft hum that was more of a purr than anything escaped him as his hand drifted a little further down her hip.

“Is it now?” Chloe bit her lower lip at his question, shrugging slightly as she toyed with him. He chuckled at the motion, the cheeky little minx.

“I like you in ties,” Chloe’s admission was soft against the music as her hand left his shoulder, delicate fingers tracing a line down the fabric that he loathed so much.

“Yes, well, don’t get used to it,” Lucifer replied, something dark tainting his tone. Chloe elected to ignore it as she carefully pulled his tie out from under his vest and jacket, her small hand slowly tracing down the length of it. 

“Too bad.” She murmured, her voice breathier than normal as she gave it a slight tug, just enough to grab his attention but not enough to sway him. “Guess I’ll just have to take advantage of the situation while I can then.” She tugged on the tie a bit more forcefully, dragging his head down, and much to his surprise, he found that for once in his life he didn’t _want_ to resist. 

He went willingly, and a moment later his lips were on hers, the delicious slide of her smooth, velvety skin against his. Her other hand dragged through the short hairs at the nape of his neck, nails scratching wonderfully at the skin there. A soft noise threatened to escape his throat, and he didn’t mind that her tug grew more insistent; he’d happily give himself over to her, happily relinquish himself to her if it only meant more of this, more of her. 

As her lips found his once again, he found himself thinking, for the first time since their invention, that perhaps ties weren’t _that bad_ after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone who's curious, my Tumblr account is [@casuallydeliciousphilosopher](http://casuallydeliciousphilosopher.tumblr.com). I open up prompt fic requests whenever I hit a major follower milestone. :)


	10. I might never get another chance to say this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dialogue Prompt: "I might never get the chance to say this.". Originally requested by an anonymous asker.
> 
> AKA the alternative ending where Dan showed up before Charlotte died.

The second Dan got to the crime scene he bolted from the car, having sped there so quickly that he arrived even before the paramedics. He rushed to the two figures huddled on the ground; one, a massive, dark-skinned man; and the other, a blonde woman. _His_ blonde woman. Charlotte. 

He didn’t have the wits about him to ask Amenadiel what he was doing with her, what happened that caused her to get hurt, or even if he’d caught a glimpse of the person who did this. The only thing he could focus on is the blood. Dark red and weeping through her shirt despite the pressure Amenadiel was putting on the wound. 

“Dan,” Charlotte croaked out, her usually strong and commanding voice merely a wrecked shell of itself. And God, it ripped his fucking heart out.

“Hey,” he greeted her gently, falling to his knees as he took Amenadiels spot, cradling her against his chest as he smoothed a hand over her hair, “It’s okay.” The words sounded like a lie even to his own ears, and the next words he said sounded more like a prayer than a reassurance, “You’re okay.”

She didn’t smile at his reassurances, her hands fisting in his shirt as she drew in a rattling breath. “I might…” she choked on the words, and somewhere deep down he knew that blood was filling her lungs, but he was to deep in his state of shock for it to fully register. “Never get another chance to say this,” she finished quietly, the rasping words were weak, and he pressed his hand tighter against the bullet hole in her gut in response, earning a pained grunt from her. 

“Don’t talk like that,” he ordered gently, unsure of whether he was trying to convince her that she would be fine, or if he was trying to convince himself. “An ambulance is coming, just hold on, okay?” Each word quivered, his voice shaking as he watched a tear streak down her cheek. “I need you to hold on for me.” There was a desperation in his words, he didn’t know what he would do without her; he’d just found her, he couldn’t lose her, not now, not like this.

“But…” a cough racked her body, and he hushed her gently as he rocked her back and forth slightly. “I love you,” her words waivered, fear leaking in through the cracks, “I’ll always love you.” Dread settled low in his gut at the admission, at the knowledge that she was getting her last words out in case this was the end; but it couldn’t be, he wouldn’t allow that. 

“I know you do, and I love you too, so much,” he replied, his voice cracking towards the end. His hands started to shake as he squeezed her shoulder, hoping that she knew how much he adored her as he silently cursed the paramedics for taking so long. “But you don’t have to worry about telling me right now, okay?” He drew in a shaky breath as he tried to regain his composure, he had to be strong right now for her, he couldn’t panic. “You can tell me tomorrow when I serve you waffles in bed.” A smile pulled at the corners of her mouth at that, and even though it filled him with warmth, it wasn’t enough to rid him of the ice settling in his bones. Another rattling cough pulled that hint of reassurance from her face, and he quickly reached down, brushing her hair out of her face as he realized that she was cold, too cold. 

He quickly glanced towards the road, the sound of sirens slowly approaching. The paramedics, thank Christ, his hands were sticky with a thick layer of her blood and he wasn’t sure how much longer she had. “Dan…” the quiet call of his name immediately drew his attention back down to Charlotte, her skin pale against his in the dim moonlight. “Peirce is the sinnerman.”

The four, simple words threw him for a second, his eyebrows drawing together at the sudden admission. “What?” he breathed, waiting for a response when her eyes began to flutter shut. “Charlotte,” Dan barked, managing to bring her focus back to the present for a split-second. The sirens were getting closer, she just needed to hold on for a little bit longer. “Don’t you dare close your eyes, do you hear me?” His demand seemingly went unheard as her eyes began to drift shut once more, her hands loosening their hold on his shirt. “Charlotte,” desperation sank into his voice as he uttered her name, but it did no good.

Her chest fell as she breathed out, and it didn’t lift again. It took a few seconds for reality to overcome the shock, a choked sob escaping him as he pulled her closer; burying his head in her neck, her icy skin only seemed so much colder now that it lacked the faint pulse it carried only a few moments ago. 

Tears streamed down his face as the pain settled in, harsh and unyielding. It felt like he was being ripped apart piece by piece, no, that wasn’t right, being ripped apart would feel more merciful than this. This was like losing a piece of himself, something that kept him warm, and soft, and _human_. 

Things weren’t supposed to be like this. He was supposed to take her to dinner on Friday. He was supposed to drop by her favorite barista tomorrow morning so that he could greet her with her favorite cup of coffee. This wasn’t right. He would have cursed God if he could even form the words to through the pain, but it was all-encompassing, and part of him wondered that if he succumbed to it far enough if it would stop hurting. 

He didn’t get the chance to try before strong arms were trying to pry him away, and he blindly batted them away. He wouldn’t let them take her. She couldn’t leave him. He wouldn’t survive it if she did.

His heart could only break so many times before there would be nothing left to shatter. 

It was Amenadiel’s hand on his shoulder that managed to calm his ragged nerves slightly, but not enough. Not enough to make the pain stop. The larger man pulled him away a moment later, gently prying him away from Charlotte and pulling him to the side. 

The paramedics set in immediately, and he watched them work through blurry eyes. The first charge of the defibrillator did nothing, and the second was just as useless. A shot of adrenaline was quickly administered while the machine charged up again. But even then, the third attempt had no result. Another choked sob escaped him, watching them try, and fail to resuscitate her somehow managed to shatter his heart all over again. Funny, he hadn't realized there was anything more left to be broken. 

The fourth attempt was also a fail. And after the fifth, they called it. Time of death, eleven twenty-two p.m. His hands shook as he tried to step closer, but Amenadiel held him back, he’d punch the man if he wasn't shaking too much to miss.

He watched in a daze as she was covered with a white sheet, red blood staining it where she was shot. The same red blood that was coating his skin. The blood of the woman he loved. The _dead_ woman he loved. When he glanced back up at his surroundings he was surprised by all of the flashing lights. When had they all gotten there? Why couldn’t they have been just a few minutes earlier? Why?

His eyes met Lucifer’s, the man's arms wrapped around his ex-wife as she curled into his larger frame. And he could tell even from the distance that her body was wracked by sobs of her own. He glanced back down a moment later, his eyes lingering on the white and red sheet covering Charlotte’s body. Her last words ringing in his ears like an echo of her ghost, _Peirce is the sinnerman_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone who's curious, my Tumblr account is [@casuallydeliciousphilosopher](http://casuallydeliciousphilosopher.tumblr.com). I open up prompt fic requests whenever I hit a major follower milestone. :)


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